Chinese tattooing - known as wen shen (pattern the body) and ci shen (puncture the body) - has a long and chequered history. Ethnic groups, like the Dulong in Yunnan Province, historically used tattooing as a rite of passage and an expression of tribal identity. In ancient times, governments used to tattoo the faces of criminals before sending them into exile. This punishment was called ci pei (puncture the exiled).

However, tattoos made the transition from the face to the body as they began to adopt heroic significance and became associated with the 108 generals of the classic "Water Margin" stories. Perhaps the most famous Chinese tattoo is that of Song Dynasty general, Yue Fei (1103-1142), who gained his fame defending the country against invaders from the north. Before he left home for the army, his mother reminded him of his duties by tattooing the characters jingzhong baoguo (with ultimate loyalty, serving the country) on his back. Yue went to the front and became a hero.

But as time marched on, the association moved away from heroes as up until the liberation of China in 1949, art in the skin became chiefly connected with members of crime syndicates. Such an association still partially exists today. Frowned upon and forced underground from 1949 to the opening up of China at the beginning of the 1980s, tattooing has seen a resurgence as people seek a way to further individualize themselves in a society where conformity is so often the norm.

It is this history and a love of the art that has spurred on Wang Qingyuan, aka Kisen Wang, president of the China Association of Tattoo Artists, who is almost single-handedly reshaping the world of Chinese tattooing.

"There're three reasons I established the association," began Wang in an office at the Beiyuan medical clinic where his studio is based. "The first reason is safety -- tattooing can be dangerous if done badly with the risk of infection and even shock. Many artists don't know about hygiene and coupled with the rapid development of the business, there are no guidelines or law governing tattooing, and we aim to remedy that," he said, lighting a cigarette as he continued.

"The second reason is that tattoos are forever, so people need some kind of guarantee that the person carrying out the work is able to do it to some kind of recognised level. The third reason is that tattoo businesses are small and it is still a fledgling industry, so the association provides a forum for communication and exchange of ideas."