Chinese graffiti differs from American graffiti in many ways. To start with, it does not pretend to have artistic aspirations.

When graffiti was taking shape in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, walls in China were splattered with "big-character posters" and giant slogans. Both were bold and eye-catching. Both vandalized numerous facades of public and private buildings. The difference is, the Chinese graffitists, if they could be called that, did not need to worry about being caught. They were busy denouncing authorities and bullying the public, something their American counterparts could only dream of.

Nowadays the most commonly seen graffiti on Chinese walls is the type usually described by the local press as "psoriasis on the urban landscape." They are small flyers - sometimes as tiny as a slip of paper - pasted on electric poles, public phone booths and even pavements. Every public space is their canvas.

They contain a variety of adverts, much of which are illegal. Take this classic "Job Offered" found near most metropolitan railway stations: "We hire PR personnel, both male and female. No training needed. Average monthly wage: 30,000 yuan, with 10,000 minimum guaranteed. Please call Wang Anonymous."

To the throngs of migrant workers streaming into a jungle of gleaming towers and impersonal passers-by, these pop up like a beacon. Sure, they know PR in these circumstances is a code name for prostitution, but the money is too enticing. Even if you discount it by 95 per cent, it's still much better than toiling in a sweatshop.

Truth is, this is not an ad for a house of ill repute at all; it's a trite and old scam. Once the applicant calls the number, he or she will be asked to make a deposit to a designated bank account, in the amount of a few hundred to several thousand yuan, depending on the cash reserve in your pocket. Then, the person who has been screening and interviewing you over the phone will vanish into thin air.

Cities across China have been trying to find ways to eradicate this public nuisance. High-pressure hoses are wheeled out to remove this commercial kind of graffiti. Some authorities have taken the action of placing the advertised phone numbers into an automatic calling machine so that the advertisers will be paged non-stop until they disconnect their phones.

The oldest form of Chinese graffiti may be the name tag at scenic attractions.

The history of "I was here" can be traced back at least to the fictitious Monkey King. Now, this practice of self-recognition has been multiplied millions of times all over tourist hotspots. Names are carved into stones on the Great Wall, bamboo trees on sacred mountains and every object imaginable.

Whether artistic, commercial or egoistical in ambition, and whether scratched on paper, walls, rocks or tree trunks, graffiti shares one characteristic: they appear on public or private property without permission.

As such, they are tantamount to vandalism. Whether they should qualify and be forgiven as art, advertising or self-expression is totally beside the point.

However, just because it is illegal does not mean whitewashing it or hosing it down is the best option. On the contrary, it has been proven that most of the hard-nosed removal schemes are not that effective.

Maybe we can learn from the Western approach of legitimizing graffiti art through commissioning and buyout. For example, not all small ads are scams. Some target a select audience and do not justify getting into the classified ad section.

Community-based message boards, free to all and supervised by the neighbourhood committee, can satisfy legitimate advertisers whose needs are so localized that they do not warrant space in the newspaper or even on the Web. In Chinatowns in the United States, even supermarkets offer this service.

The name tag graffiti is a harder nut to crack. The need to commemorate one's presence in a place of historic or aesthetic value is solidified through centuries of poetry and calligraphy. Since great writers can leave their mark in a place they visited, why can't the hoi polloi scribble their names and be forever associated with it?

One way out may be the Super Girls model. Visitors can be asked to submit their travelogue and the best pieces selected for publishing.

The ultimate solution will be the karaoke equivalent, whereby everyone can have his or her own Great Wall brick for name engraving. A miniature replica for sale may relieve some of the urge for immortality.

E-mail: raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/08/2006 page4)