How Bamboo Scaffolding Built Hong Kong - and Why It’s Disappearing

Hong Kong contains the world’s densest forest of skyscrapers, with 669 completed buildings that are over 150 meters in height as of January, 2025, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

It comes as a surprise to many who have never visited the city, then, to realize that many of Hong Kong's high‑rises are actually constructed using bamboo scaffolding. Witnessing mammoth towers cocooned in lattices of bamboo is quite the sight to behold!

From 50‑storey residential towers to commercial blocks topping out well above 200 meters, it’s common to see entire facades wrapped in green safety netting over a web of hand‑tied bamboo poles.

While bamboo is still used more frequently than metal for building construction in Hong Kong, recent concerns over the safety of using bamboo scaffolding has prompted the government to put into motion a plan to “drive a wider adoption of metal scaffolds in public building works progressively...over time."

Ancient origins in China

Visual records of bamboo frameworks appear in the Song‑dynasty handscroll “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” (12th century), depicting everyday urban construction with timber and bamboo staging. This is often cited as early evidence of scaffold use in Chinese cities.

Lineage through Cantonese Building and Opera

Bamboo scaffolding became embedded in southern Chinese construction, especially in Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta. The same tying and bracing techniques were adapted for “bamboo theatres” - temporary festival stages built entirely from poles and ties, a tradition that still continues in parts of Hong Kong and Macau.

19th and 20th Century - Shift to Buildings and Shipyards

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bamboo scaffolding dominated building and shipyard work in Hong Kong due to speed, light weight, and low cost. The craft organized around master scaffolders and apprentices, with techniques standardized through guild practice long before formal regulation.

After World War II, as high‑rise construction accelerated, bamboo methods scaled up to wrap reinforced‑concrete towers, with double‑layer “facade” scaffolds, catch‑fans, and standardized knots.

Postwar to late 20th century: Training and Licensing

The government introduced competency requirements and safety rules as building heights and densities increased. Formal training and registration for “Bamboo Scaffolder” trades were developed, and safety inspections became routine, especially after typhoon‑related incidents.

Bamboo sources in Hong Kong and the supply chain

Although bamboo does occur locally, wild growth cannot meet industry demand. In practice, the majority of bamboo used for scaffolding in Hong Kong is imported, with suppliers typically obtaining material from nearby regions in southern China, notably Guangdong and Guangxi, and then distributing it through Hong Kong and neighboring hubs such as Macau.

Processing and usability

Bamboo poles are cut into standard lengths, commonly around seven meters, and then dried to ensure stability. After drying, poles can be stored outdoors under appropriate conditions. Typical practice allows for about three reuse cycles, after which poles may show warping or reduced strength and are usually retired from service.

Speed, Adaptability, Cost:

• Bamboo is lighter and far faster to erect/dismantle, needs minimal equipment, and can be custom‑cut to tight urban geometries
• Metal systems (steel/aluminium) assemble in modular fashion, support higher standardized loads, and integrate with systemized safety components, but are heavier and typically slower/more expensive to deploy in confined facades.
• A sturdy bamboo pole costs between HK$ 100-300. Hair bamboo costs just HK$15 per pole compared with HK$280 for one made of metal.

Structural Behavior and Durability:

• Bamboo’s flexibility provides resilience under wind, but performance varies with natural material properties, age, moisture, and workmanship; members are typically reused only a few cycles before degradation.
• Metal has predictable mechanical properties, higher fire resistance, and longer service life; however, it requires more crane/hoisting logistics and can be less forgiving around irregular building profiles.

Environmental Profile:

• Bamboo is rapidly renewable with lower embodied energy and shorter supply chains regionally, making it environmentally friendlier than metal in many contexts.
• Metals are recyclable and durable, but extraction and processing are energy‑intensive; lifecycle impacts depend on reuse cycles and logistics.
• According to the Journal of Green Building, "Bamboo scaffolding has a lower carbon footprint than steel scaffolding, with an ability to sequester carbon during its growth phase being a significant contributing factor. This is an important advantage of bamboo over nonrenewable materials (steel). Additionally, bamboo functions as a buffer, delaying the release of CO2 after the use phase."

Becoming a bamboo scaffolder in Hong Kong takes dedicated, formal training. New scaffolders typically complete either a three-year apprenticeship or a one-year full-time course before they’re allowed to work independently. There are established pathways, competency checks, and on-site supervision requirements to make sure crews can build safely at height. Currently, there are about 2,500 registered bamboo scaffolders in Hong Kong.

The training blends craftsmanship with structural know-how and safety:

• Material selection and prep: Trainees learn to choose the right species and sizes—Kao Jue (pole bamboo) and Mao Jue (hair bamboo) - and to reject poles with cracks, decay, or insufficient wall thickness. Poles must be thoroughly dried to avoid problems during erection.
  
• Knotting and joints: Hand-tying is a core skill. Poles are lashed with nylon strips or metal wire to create strong, stiff, durable frames that can carry workers, tools, and materials. As one long-time theatre builder puts it, the hardest part is the knot—mastery takes years, and you can judge an artisan by the quality of their tie.
  
• Erection methods and debris control: Scaffolders practice assembling frames alongside buildings to provide stable access at multiple levels, installing netting and nylon sheeting so loose debris can’t fall into the street.
  
• Precision at height: Working on very tall scaffolds demands exact layout and bracing. A senior manager from a bamboo construction firm stresses that tall, free‑standing sections require precise work; without it, long runs of bamboo can start to bend at excessive heights.
  
• Site procedures and supervision: Trainees are taught notification rules, competent-person oversight, and safe sequencing for erection, alterations, and dismantling.

All the information below comes directly from the Building Department's guidebook titled "Guidelines on the Design and Structure of Bamboo Scaffolds"

Build from the bottom up: Crews start at ground level and work their way up, first close to the façade, then outward. The vertical posts are kept straight, and diagonal braces are added so the structure doesn’t wobble. Where specified, steel brackets or seats are fixed to the façade early to provide positive bearing points and predictable tie locations; posts and ledgers can be lashed or clamped to these brackets, with protective sleeves to prevent abrasion where bamboo contacts metal.

Secure step by step: As each level goes up, workers add horizontal ledgers (to make a rigid grid), platforms, and the all-important ties back to the building. Nothing hangs off the scaffold that isn’t meant to - no tools or extras on the braces or ledgers. Steel brackets act as standardized tie-in points, especially at corners and at height, reducing reliance on long through‑ties; anchors are installed to the engineer’s specification (cast‑in, chemical, or expansion) and checked for embedment and torque/pull-out as required.

Keep walkways safe: Platforms must be clear of loose items, with protective screens and netting around the outside so nothing falls into the street. Catch-fans are added every few floors as “safety shelves”. At bracket locations, ensure guardrails, toe boards, and netting integrate around the hardware without gaps; cover sharp bracket edges and isolate dissimilar materials to avoid cutting lashings.

Only trained crews, always supervised: Erection, changes, and dismantling are done by trained scaffolders with a competent supervisor on site. The scaffold is inspected when first completed, at least every 14 days, before and after storms, and after any changes. Inspections include checking bracket anchors for corrosion, cracking, and movement, verifying lashing/clamp integrity at bamboo‑to‑steel interfaces, and confirming bracket spacing and tie patterns remain as designed.

Dismantle top-down, outside-in: When work is done, the scaffold comes down in reverse order - from the top floor to the ground, outside to inside. Crews don’t strip a vertical “slice” down one side (that can unbalance the frame). Nothing is thrown down - every piece is carefully lowered [BD Guidelines, 2025; SCMP Visual Explainer, 2022]. Maintain enough bracketed ties during takedown to keep stability until adjacent lifts are removed; then detach brackets, de‑anchor per procedure, and make good any façade penetrations.

In March 2025, the Development Bureau announced it would “drive a wider adoption of metal scaffolds in public building works progressively,” aiming for metal use in at least half of new government contracts. The rationale: bamboo’s “intrinsic weaknesses such as variation in mechanical properties, deterioration over time and high combustibility … giving rise to safety concerns.” Accident victims’ advocates welcomed the shift and urged private projects to follow, arguing that - even at double or triple the cost - safety yields greater long‑term returns.

At the same time, industry estimates suggest roughly 80% of Hong Kong scaffolds are still bamboo as of early 2025, reflecting entrenched practice, cost, and site‑specific advantages.

Since 2018, official figures have put the total death toll from worksites using bamboo scaffolding at 23 people.

In 2025 alone, there have already been several tragic incidents related to bamboo scaffolding:

Accidents

• January 13, 2025: Eleven workers were injured when bamboo scaffolding collapsed at a construction site in Kai Tak. The scaffolding was mounted on the external wall of a building where curtain wall installation works were underway.
• August 27, 2025: Two workers were injured in Hong Kong's Mid-Levels when bamboo scaffolding collapsed at a residential complex on Conduit Road. The scaffolding, covering the second and third floors, collapsed while the workers were dismantling it.

Fires

• October 18, 2025: A fire broke out on the bamboo scaffolding around the Chinachem Tower in Central. The fire led to the hospitalization of at least four people and the evacuation of more than 50. Three people were trapped in a lift at one point but were rescued.
• October 29, 2025: A fire broke out at the KEyPoint construction site in Kai Tak, opposite the Sogo department store on Concorde Road, with a section of scaffolding catching fire. About 200 people were evacuated, but no injuries were reported. The fire occurred at the site of the under-construction rehousing project Casa Delight.

Deaths

• May 6, 2025: A 62-year-old worker died after falling from bamboo scaffolding while dismantling it outside a building in Fanling. He lost his footing and fell into the impluvium between the site and the Grace Industrial Building.
• November 2, 2025: A 47-year-old construction worker died after falling from bamboo scaffolding nine stories high at a site in Sau Mau Ping. The worker fell onto a two-meter-high working platform and lost consciousness.

All the below suggestions come from either the Occupational Safety and Health Council, or the Building Department.

Design and planning

• Use standard double‑layered configurations unless a professional engineer custom‑designs alternatives; ensure wind planning and realistic service life, and avoid over‑reliance on protective screens for structural stability.
• Plan regular ties and anchor points to the building; test a sample of anchors on site to confirm strength; tighten tie spacing on taller scaffolds and near corners.

Materials and workmanship

• Enforce acceptance criteria: species, age (3–5 years), drying, diameter, wall thickness, no visible defects; retire bent/split members early.
• Standardize knotting: strong nylon ties with enough wraps; maintain proper overlaps at joints; keep knots consistent across crews.

Supervision and training

• Ensure erection, alteration, dismantling by trained workmen under a competent person; run frequent inspections (initial, every ≤14 days, before/after storms, after changes) and stop work to fix any issues immediately.

Protection against falls and falling objects

• Keep platforms clear; install fire‑retardant screens; add catch‑fans at required intervals; never overload platforms.

Weather preparedness

• Before typhoons/monsoons: add ties/bracing; remove loose screens where safe; lower above‑roof sections; clear loose materials; conduct extra checks when warnings are issued.

Mixed systems and phasing

• For complex facades or heavier loads, consider hybrid setups (bamboo frame with metal platforms or brackets) to improve load paths and standardize anchorages while retaining bamboo’s adaptability.

Hong Kong’s construction culture balances craft, code, and pragmatism. Bamboo scaffolding persists because it’s fast, adaptable, economical, and - when properly designed, tied, and supervised - remarkably capable, even on very tall buildings. Yet policy momentum favors metal in public works, driven by standardization, fire safety, and variability concerns.

Industry voices counter that accident prevention hinges on site controls and training more than material choice. In practice, the near‑term path is likely mixed: wider metal adoption on government jobs, continued bamboo use where it outperforms, and a sharpened focus on engineering design, anchorage quality, inspections, and weather preparedness to keep workers and the public safe.