Eastern philosophies have some appeal to us, I think in part because they are unfamiliar to us. They may express some of the same sentiments, ultimately, as Western thought, but their approach and their symbolism are different, foreign, and therefore very interesting. This interest translates directly into tattoos that people choose to wear. Great examples of Eastern philosophy tattoos include the symbol of ying and yang, and the variants of cherry blossoms.

One of my personal East inspired motifs is the Chinese dragon tattoo. Dragons appear in both Eastern and Western work, so the dragon itself is not a strictly Eastern idea. There are differences, though, in the meaning of the dragon between East and West. In the West, the dragon has most often been a symbol of evil. In the East, the dragon takes on a meaning of imperial power. It also embodies the concept of maleness, and for agricultural societies symbolizes rain and water.

The dragon itself is not used as a national Chinese symbol because of its imperial connotation.  However, the dragon figures prominently in celebrations for Chinese New Year.  In the dragon dance, the movement of the dragon symbolizes power and dignity.  A Chinese dragon tattoo can be worn on the body in a way that allows movement, thereby replicating not only the dragon’s image, but its motion as well.

Once you have reflected on what the Chinese dragon symbolizes to the Chinese, the next step is to think about what a Chinese dragon tattoo means to you. Are you indicating your imperial power, or your power and dignity? Or is there something else entirely that the tattoo means to you? This line of thought will help you not only determine where you would like to wear a Chinese dragon tattoo, but also what style or motif you would like included with it.

Should you have just a dragon head?  Just its body?  How many toes should it have?  (Chinese dragons have five toes, Japanese dragons have four, and Korean dragons have three.)  Will your dragon be a part of a broader scene, or will it stand alone?  Some of this will be dictated by the surface area that you choose to work with.  Some of this will be dictated by the template you choose, and the skill of the artist.  In any case, it is critical to make the Chinese dragon tattoo your Chinese dragon tattoo.