The Hong Kong skyline is a vision of pristine and modern architecture. However, a closer look will reveal that surrounding many of the city’s buildings is the unrefined structure of bamboo scaffolding. When a gleaming high-rise needs be erected, or when a state-of-the-art facility has to be renovated, the first thing workers do is bring in the bamboo. Before you know it, an entire latticework of the long sticks will be assembled around the construction area. The scaffolding is an old-school marvel in our modern world but can be found on practically every street in Hong Kong, surrounding anything from billboards to storefronts to entire skyscrapers. The fact is there are few incentives to change to a different material when the merits of bamboo warrant the city’s loyalty.

Bamboo scaffolding got its three minutes of fame in the film Rush Hour 2, when Jackie Chan dexterously clambered up the grid while fighting thugs. The bamboo’s starring role drives home its best attribute: strength. The tan-coloured scaffolding may look primitive and precarious, but bamboo is very strong, with some types comparable to the strength of cement. If built properly, the scaffolding can sustain even Chan’s acrobatic, elevated fight.

From an economic standpoint, bamboo wins top marks. It is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world – at about one metre per day – making it an abundant and environmentally-friendly material. It is also lightweight, which is good for transporting and quick assembly. A large pile can be delivered by truck to the construction site, and the bamboo is tied together by hand with plastic cord. When the scaffolding is removed, the bamboo can be reused, as it is rot-resistant and long lasting.

Construction workers stake their lives on this framework every day. Unfortunately, even with the strength of bamboo, fatal falls still occur due to various unsafe practices. The Labour Department reports that from 2000 to 2004, among the cases of construction fatalities due to “the fall of a person from height”, nearly half involved bamboo scaffolding. The government has been pushing for better safety measures for decades, such as more diligent use of safety harnesses. The numbers have gradually improved – a good thing, since it looks like bamboo scaffolding is here to stay.