Snapshot of Dulong ethnic group in SW China

The women of the Dulong used to have their faces tattooed when they turned 12 or 13 as a sign of maturity. The custom began hundreds of years ago. The Dulong were often attacked by other ethnic groups and women were taken as slaves. To avoid being raped, the Dulong women had their faces tattooed to make themselves less attractive. The old custom began disappearing after the founding of the People's Republic of China and today tattooed women's faces can only be seen among some aged members of the group. [Photo by Lin Tianfu]