The Li people in Hainan Province are one of China's 56 ethnic
groups, numbering about 1.24 million. They maintained a patriarchal
social structure of society up to the 1950s. They worshipped
totems, nature and their ancestors. Tattoos were ordinary features
of Li women in the past, symbolizing a rite of passage.
Fu Yandi, 57, belongs to the Li. What makes her extraordinary
are the blue and black tattoos of frogs and snakes all over her
arms, legs and face.
As a matter of fact, tattoos were a common feature for Li women
in the past, symbolizing a rite of passage. The history of their
tattoos could be traced back to 3,000 years ago, according to Zhou
Weimin, a professor in Hainan University.
Currently, more than 2,000 Li tattooed women still live, making
the Li the people with the most tattooed members in Pacific Rim
regions. However, all these women are already in their 50s, even
60s. Their passing away will surely end the 3,000-year history of
tattoos. Though Hainan Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau is working
to preserve this precious cultural heritage, rather than encourage
today's Li women to tattoo their skins, experts and folklorists are
trying to keep a complete multi-media record of the tattoos. In
this way, the cultural information of the tattoos will be
well-preserved for the study of folklore and local customs.
(Chinanews.cn September 5, 2006)
