Bamboo scaffolding, the ultimate culture shock

The one thing that really jumped out at me within minutes of stepping off the train the night I arrived in Hong Kong on my recent visit was the bamboo scaffolding.

Perhaps its because I am the son, grandson and great-grandson of contractors. Or maybe its because I spent my summers during high school building steel staffolding for my dad's crews as a part-time job. Whatever the reason, I found myself absolutely fascinated by the skyscrappers built of what from a distance looks like popsicle sticks, but upon closer inspection is in fact bamboo tied together by nimble Chinese labors scrammbling up and down without harness.

Its truly an amazing sight of modern engineering that an innovative and modern skyscape like Hong Kong's could be born from such a 19th century building technique!