Dear Vicky: Bamboo Scaffolders

An Art form that never ceases to amaze me

Okay, Dear Vicky is in the title, so I feel obligated to put a photo of it out. Here it is:

This is a four-photo stitch.

Hong Kong is a photogenic city. Grab a camera and walk around, you’ll never get bored. One of the things that always captivates me is its scaffoldings, with bamboo sticks. Need a new paint for your exterior wall? A bamboo scaffold. Building a skyscraper? A bamboo scaffold. It does everything. It’s fast, versatile and just as reliable. The typhoons that frequent the city got nothing on those bamboo sticks. It’s an art form in and of itself. Seeing the scaffold go up is like seeing a painter work on its canvas, stroke by stroke, layer upon layer. I’ll stop to watch people working on the scaffoldings whenever I can. If I have a camera on me, I’ll snap a photo or two. I never get tired of this. Here’s some photos I’ve shot over the years.

Obviously, you’ll need a lot of bamboo sticks, a lot.

Lots of people work together

Bamboo sticks being sent to the next project.

Cargo piers are a good place to store mountains of bamboo sticks when not in use.

Putting my lovely wife here for perspective

It could make the sidewalks feel like a cage, a bit claustrophobic

A piece of art unfolding in front of your eyes

This is daredevil territory

Teamwork

And scene!

Later, Skater!