• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.379-385
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• 2021

Tattoo, which has been 5000 years' history is the symbol of the collective society. It was used as one of the methods not only to defense and camouflage but also to decorate themselves. In modern society, tattoo culture is either limited to ethnic minorities or be used as a decorative element of personal preference. Among them, the Chinese ethnic minority, the Dai, is still maintaining its tattoo culture, but gradually faded. Hence, the necessity of protecting the tattoo culture of the Dai is essential. The procedures and methods of this study were conducted by analyzing an antique book, explore residential areas, data research, and data collection through interviews. According to research, the tattoo culture of the Dai has been consistently passed down through traditional tattoo pictorial books, the memories of tattooists, and the stories of people who got tattoos. However, the Dai's traditional culture and customs are influenced by the China political reform between 1952 and 1956, confirming that the size of tattoo culture was reduced than before and evanesces. As a result, in order to inherit the ethnic minorities Dai's tattoo heritage, records of tattoo culture are required. Besides, it is considered that the records of tattoo culture and interpretations of tattoo culture by tattooists and the people who got a tattoo due to aging in the future should be studied.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.348-354
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• 2023

A tattoo is a cultural form that has been handed down to mankind for a long time. Traditional tattoo customs that have been handed down and developed in the various cultures of mankind have the important value of academic research in various fields such as history, art, society, etc. The Derung people, one of the minorities living in Yunnan Province and nearby areas in the southwest of China, have 'facial tattoo' customs. The traditional culture of the Derung people, which had maintained the form of primitive society until 1949 when the People's Republic of China was established, was passed down through oral tradition, so there are no preserved materials about their tattoo culture, showing the need for research on the culture. Therefore, it was conducted in two ways: a research on modern and contemporary literature and a field trip to Yunnan Province. The exact reason and time of facial tattoo customs are unknown, but the customs disappeared after being banned in 1966 due to the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The symbols and functions of facial tattoos can be largely divided into four categories, including religious worship, coming-of-age ceremonies, aesthetic decorations, and ethnic and social history, through an on-site survey and research by modern and contemporary scholars. And, it is known that women of the Derung People get tattoos from the age of 7 to 8. The design of facial tattoos became more complicated for upper-class women and simpler for lower-class women depending on the area they live. Tattoos are mainly performed by relatives, and mainly bamboo skewers and lixivium extracted from the bottom of the pot are used as the materials. Currently, there are fewer than 25 women of the Derung people with facial tattoos, and most of them are elderly. Therefore, they seem to disappear altogether within a few decades. Therefore, it is urgent to have documentation on the unique facial tattoo culture of the Derung people.