HONG KONG : A Concrete Jungle Built with the Help of Bamboo

Anyone noticed anything special about the scaffolding in Hong Kong?

Having grown up in the city, it had never even crossed my mind that bamboo scaffolding was something that was unique to Hong Kong, despite practically living in Europe during every school holiday. It only occurred to me as something unique when it was discussed in class and that's when it hit me - in Europe I never hear the clanging of bamboo as they are thrown into a skip, or walk through a tunnel of veiled bamboo sticks when walking by a construction site.

Although the use of bamboo for scaffolding is growing in popularity in developing Asian countries, it is has been integral part of Hong Kong's development since the beginning of the colonial times in the 1800s. To this day, bamboo scaffolding can be frequently seen around the city, whether they are framing the infamous neon signs (which may be in need of some repairs) or covering the entirety of an 80 storey building. In fact most if not all of the towering, glistening skyscrapers that Hong Kong is so famous for, were constructed with the use of bamboo scaffolding. These brave supermen often work in the clouds while balancing on the scaffolding with little more than hardhats and some basic safety gear - no harnesses. Surprisingly accidents aren't too common.

Although bamboo may look frail and is technically the largest member of the grass family, it's strength should not be underestimated! Due to it's hollow core, it is lightweight and flexible, yet cheaper and even stronger than metal scaffolding. Bamboo scaffolding can even be safer than metal scaffolding, as during typhoons metal scaffolding that gets blown away by the wind can cause even greater damage to cars. They are also extremely versatility, they are held together with nylon strips can be constructed into many different types of structures depending on what is required.

The use of bamboo scaffolding for construction can be considered a traditional Chinese art form that can be traced back thousands of years - most notably, bamboo was used during the construction of the Great Wall of China. Using ancient techiques to build such an ultra-modern city is exemplary of a harmonious union between the past and the future.

Have you ever realised that something that you thought was universal was actually unique to your home country?

Oh fun and slightly disturbing fact. Did you know that bamboo was also supposedly used as a torture method? According to various sources, this was practiced either during WW2 by Japanese soldiers/in Ancient China as well as some other parts of Asia. Due to the fact that bamboo can grow up to 91cm a day, victims were often secured over sharpened bamboo shoots and left to be slowly punctured by the bamboo which continues to grow out of them. Some sources even maintain that the shoots were inserted into their butts... though these claims have never been 100% confirmed!

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