The heart of body art

Tattoo studios are springing up across major cities to cater to a new breed of middle-class clients. Ren Xiaojin reports.

Chinese are changing how they think about ink. Tattoos were ubiquitous in Born to Be King, the sixth hit mob movie in Hong Kong's popular Young and Dangerous franchise. They served as symbols of gang culture, as is illustrated by the violence depicted in Andrew Lau Waikeung's 2000 film.

Fast forward 17 years - that attitude is changing.