Hong Kong’s bamboo holds up its skyline, and part of its soul

Emerging from the Kowloon side of the Western Harbour Crossing, one of the first buildings you’ll see is the iconic International Commerce Centre. Covered in reflective glass, it’s a cloud-piercing vision in blue. I was driving past it the other day when I saw small bamboo scaffolding structures at its base. I don’t know why but the sight brought a smile to my face.

There was something incredibly charming about Kowloon’s most glittering skyscraper being tended to by dangling sifus (craftsmen) in a construction method easily dating back a thousand years. It was a sight that encapsulated everything there is to love about Hong Kong – a city that sometimes chooses to defy all sense.

There’s a lot that we in Hong Kong know and love about bamboo scaffolding. We know it’s light, durable and cheap, and thus one of the best construction materials for an efficiency-obsessed Hong Kong. We know it’s a staple setting for stars to dangle off in action films and fight scenes – from Andy Lau in God of Gamblers to Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 2.

We know Hong Kong is one of the last places on the planet where bamboo scaffolding still remains a practised craft and not a relic of history. And yet, with the Development Bureau’s recent promotion of metal scaffolding in public works projects, bamboo scaffolding is now at risk of being phased out here – amid concerns over safety and inadequate training.

Like many moments in history when tradition and modernity collide, it’s rarely a valiant fight to the death and is more of a petty misalignment of interests. In the eyes of governing bodies that oversee bamboo scaffolding, safety means standardisation – standard structures, designs and regulations. If metal scaffolding does a better job of delivering against those requirements, it must be the superior method.

But to the industry and the craftsmen employed in it, safety means better management. Bamboo scaffolders are more than just builders – they are artisans, creatives and engineers. They pride themselves on their experience and judgment as they pull off one tightrope act after another, figuring out how to build intricate structures around Hong Kong’s tight, irregular spaces while staying on the right side of the government’s regulations.