How bamboo scaffolding helped build Hong Kong and still holds up its spirit

South China Morning Post

13-07-2025

In the concrete and steel jungle of Hong Kong, bamboo remains a widely used building material. The organic material is shaped into rapidly constructed scaffolding that covers new developments or supports workers doing building renovations. Bamboo scaffolding even forms entire venues for pop-up Cantonese opera theatres and cultural events. Hong Kong is one of the last bastions of bamboo scaffolding in the world. The city's enduring reliance on it is the result of a unique blend of heritage and practicality – bamboo is cheap, strong and flexible. But while many cherish it, in March 2025, the city's government started a partial phasing out of bamboo in favour of metal scaffolding, citing safety concerns. Bamboo scaffolders known as 'spiders' continue to work for now, but their craft could be slowly fading away. Hong Kong Authentic takes a look at the business and art of bamboo scaffolding.