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Home Tattoos 101 Best Chinese Dragon Tattoo Ideas You’ll Have to See to Believe!

101 Best Chinese Dragon Tattoo Ideas You’ll Have to See to Believe!

by Jamie Wilson
Chinese Dragon Tattoos

Looking for good Chinese dragon tattoos? Look no further! We have compiled a great list of tattoos that we think you will find interesting!

Chinese Dragon Tatttoo
@niro_niro via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Dragons are one of the most famous mythical creatures from the vast world of mythology.

Just like dragons, dragon tattoos have become one of the most popular tattoo designs that people get inked on their skin for a badass look! There are many dragon tattoos like the tribal dragon, Celtic dragon, black dragon, and flaming dragon tattoo that are used to symbolize a feeling of power and wisdom.

In the western part of the world or in the different cultures, dragons are often associated as creatures that are a symbol of destruction. But in China and its culture, dragons represent good luck, success, wisdom, and different aspects of life. Not to forget that the Chinese dragons are a part of Chinese astrology culture and are associated with the Chinese zodiac as they are one of the 12 signs in the zodiac that represents good luck, strength, and health. The dragon is also the male element for the famous symbol of Yin and Yang.

Thanks to this different approach to these creatures in China, dragon tattoo styles have evolved over the years and have become a mainstay in the art culture thanks to the many unique ideas and styles that have made dragon designs popular!

Traditional Chinese Dragon Tattoo Design In Black Ink For The Flaunters

Traditional Chinese Dragon Tattoo Design In Black Ink For The Flaunters
@nicholasleetattoo via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

This beautiful all-black dragon tattoo is an absolute stunner! This design is one of the many dragon tattoos that make use of the simple black design in order to make the design pop out to onlookers. The upside-down art style adds flair to the tattoo and the placement of this back tattoo is perfect as it starts at the bottom and finishes at the base of the neck.

Dragon tattoos like this are some of the very best tattoo designs that are perfectly suited for the back of the body. However, since you are the one getting inked, you can add different meanings that symbolize specific things to your life. You can add more elements like flames to this back tattoo and either enlarging the dragon or making it small, according to your preference.

The perfect placement for this tattoo is usually the back of the body, but you can get it inked on either your chest or the arm sleeve.

Black And Red Chinese Dragon Tattoo Design For The Imaginative Minds

Black And Red Chinese Dragon Tattoo Design For The Imaginative Minds
@horikitattoos via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

This amazing dragon tattoo falls under a handful of dragon tattoo designs that use just two kinds of ink to create something this beautiful! The art on the tattoo is a well-thought design as it uses a simple design of a beautifully structured dragon and clouds – a sneak-peek into the Chinese mythology of dragons soaring high in the sky. The tattoo design also represents other parts of the Asian cultures, for example, the dragon in Japanese culture represents the same things they do in the Chinese culture, i.e., life, wisdom, and power. So, in many ways, the Chinese dragons are similar to the Japanese dragon barring a few differences.

If you don’t want the exact same design then you can ask your tattoo artist to put your ideas in the tattoo design for it to represent your preferences, for example, turning the tattoo into more of a tribal or a western design.

Tattoo designs like this one can be a great addition to various parts of your body like the back, chest, shoulder, or arm sleeve.

Chinese Dragon Tattoo Sleeve Design For Arm Sleeve For The Old-School Folks

Chinese Dragon Tattoo Sleeve Design For Arm Sleeve For The Old-School Folks
@mainstreetsaintstattooparlour via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

If you are looking for tribal Chinese dragon tattoo designs then you should absolutely consider this tribal dragon tattoo! This tribal dragon tattoo design is the perfect example of how flexible tattoo ideas can be as the art on this design takes on the tribal pattern, adding a different approach to the body of the tattoo and making it much more favourable for people who use tribal designs to represent or interpret their way of life.

Tribal dragon tattoos like this are the best in their full-sized form and will suit the back, chest, or arm sleeve.

Colourful Roaring Dragon Tattoo Style For The Vibrant People

Colourful Roaring Dragon Tattoo Style For The Vibrant People
@murmaffen via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

In case you are a bright and cheerful person and want a dragon tattoo that compliments your cheerful personality then dragon tattoo designs like this are what you should be looking at! The portrait of the dragon is nicely done and a variety of ink colours have been used to give this design a more bright and fierce look. The greatly sketched ink work adds to the personality of the tattoo and helps the roaring dragon outline stand out as a symbol of power and wisdom.

If you want to add more elements to this tattoo then it’s recommended to add fire near the dragon’s mouth to give it a fire breathing or a flaming effect. Both the fire breathing and the flaming effect adds a ferocious to the tattoo as a dragon breathing fire is seen as a badass and scary style to flaunt!

Stunning Koi Dragon Tattoo Design For The Daring

Stunning Koi Dragon Tattoo Design For The Daring
@irezumi_culture_tattoos via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

This stunning tattoo is a great piece of art that incorporates the koi fish and the Asian dragon to create a dragonfish tattoo. This amazing tattoo design uses the koi and the dragon to portray the different aspects of life as both creatures stand for something in the Asian and western cultures. In this tattoo, the dragon represents power, ferocity, and strength, while the koi fish represents perseverance and willpower. Together, the creatures bring out the best of the koi fish as they represent rebirth and transformation.

So, if you are looking for a tattoo that will resonate with your newborn self-belief then you can absolutely get this tattoo inked on your body to make it a symbol of a new beginning.

Large-sized dragon tattoos covering a major chunk of your skin like this tattoo can be inked on the back, chest, legs, or arm sleeve.

Chinese Dragon Shenron Tattoo Design For The Anime Geeks

Chinese Dragon Shenron Tattoo Design For The Anime Geeks
@rebelmusedenver via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Quite a few anime series can claim to be globally popular and loved by millions of people in the western and global culture unless you are the DragonBall series! Shenron, the eternal dragon from the franchise is a mainstay in the series and is a loved character thanks to its humungous size and calm demeanour (except when it’s being summoned randomly all the time!).

Shenron resembles a traditional Chinese dragon with four toes and a serpent-like body that is common in many other Asian cultures along with the Chinese culture.

The tattoo style follows Shenron closely and the inclusion of the Dragon Balls scattered through the design gives a mystical look to the tattoo as it oozes power and style.

Large tattoo designs like this are best suited on the shoulder, chest, back, or legs.

Ferocious Roaring Dragon Tattoo Idea For The Showoffs

Ferocious Roaring Dragon Tattoo Idea For The Showoffs
@goodrich_ink via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

Dragons in western culture are seen as a creature of power and destruction as they destroy everything that stands in their way! This stunning tattoo design is certainly one of the many amazing Chinese dragon tattoos that are used to represent ferocity and stand as a symbol of destruction.

The dragon portrait is drawn perfect to the details with the face, mane, and vicious-looking jaws that devour anything in its reach. This is the perfect tattoo for people who like to flaunt the dragons on their bodies!

This is a perfect sleeve tattoo, but in case you want to make it your own, you can add different elements to the tattoo design and make it larger or smaller depending on the placement of the tattoo. An enlarged version of this design will be perfect for the chest if you don’t want it as a sleeve tattoo!

Yin And Yang Tattoo Design With Dragon And Tiger Symbolism For The Spirituals

Yin And Yang Tattoo Design With Dragon And Tiger Symbolism For The Spirituals
@nordlandic via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

The dragon and tiger are celestial animals in Chinese mythology and are often paired together in various art forms to portray the mythological importance of the creatures.

The Tiger tattoo is used to represent the yin or the female element or the colour white as the tiger tattoo symbolizes purpose and patience in Asian cultures. On the other hand, the Yang dragon is the male element and stands as the symbol of ferocity and destructiveness.

The Yang dragon and the Yin tiger are complementary to each other as the pattern is used to symbolize light and dark energy. The dragon and tiger illustrate the ancient depictions of the animals in Asian mythology.

Owing to the flexibility of designs such as this, it is possible to change the shape and size of the tattoo by making either the tiger or the dragon small or making the tiger bigger and the dragon smaller to give it an abstract look.

Line Dragon Tattoo Design For The Minimalists

Line Dragon Tattoo Design For The Minimalists
@jarrattattoo via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

If you are someone who wants a simple yet attractive tattoo idea then this tattoo is your best bet! The tattoo design is based on line art and is one of the many dragon tattoos to make use of the idea. The sketch is done in such a way that the result is a neat-looking tattoo. The black outlines give the tattoo the neat look that it requires and the colourless design leaves much to the imagination of prying eyes.

Lineart tattoos have a different appeal as, they, while being simple, can make the tattoo appear prominent.

It is not recommended, but if you want to add your own ideas to this tattoo then you can most definitely add colours to it or change the dragon outline to portray a Celtic dragon or a Japanese dragon according to your preference.

Art Nouveau Dragon Tattoo For The Art Enthusiasts

Art Nouveau Dragon Tattoo For The Art Enthusiasts
@zuzapolakowska via Instagram – Love this design? Try a Temporary Tattoo

This gorgeous dragon tattoo is perfection to the core. The intricately designed tattoo just oozes class and charisma. The tattoo closely follows the art nouveau style with the free-flowing dragon portrait. The flowers, vines, and leaves add a serene feel to the tattoo as it breaks down the traditional distinction that is seen in applied arts and fine arts.

Dragon tattoos like this are best as they are without further additions as these unnecessary additions may change the tone of the design and make them obsolete. So, in case you plan on getting this tattoo inked on your body, it is recommended to leave it as it is and refrain from adding extra elements to the tattoo.

Still looking for inspiration, then checkout this blog post about dragon tattoo ideas.

With all that said, here are some other suggestions of dragon tattoos:

  • Cartoon dragon tattoo
  • Dragon tattoo with DBZ logo
  • Intertwined Serpent dragon tattoo
  • Mortal Kombat dragon tattoo
  • Skyrim dragon tattoo

Still looking for inspiration, then checkout this blog post about chinese dragon tattoo ideas.

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