Hong Kong is set to scale back its iconic use of bamboo scaffolding as officials take steps to improve safety standards on building sites.
In a policy shift announced this week, the Development Bureau said steel scaffolding would replace bamboo on at least half of all new public construction contracts.
The move follows a string of fatal incidents – with 23 workers killed in bamboo scaffold-related accidents since 2018.
Bamboo scaffolding has long been a hallmark of Hong Kong’s urban landscape, wrapped around skyscrapers and neon shopfronts alike. Lightweight, flexible, and relatively inexpensive, it has been used for everything from small-scale renovations to the construction of major high-rises.
The practice, with roots stretching back centuries across Asia, is unique for its speed and efficiency. Bamboo poles – fastened with nylon straps instead of nuts and bolts – can be quickly erected even in the city’s narrowest streets. Generations of skilled scaffolders have passed down the technique, which is as much a craft as a trade.
But authorities say the material’s limitations are now too risky to ignore. Bamboo is highly flammable, can deteriorate over time, and varies in strength – making it increasingly unsuitable for modern, high-risk worksites.
“Bamboo has intrinsic flaws that raise serious concerns,” said Terence Lam, a spokesperson for the Development Bureau. “We need to prioritise worker safety.”
Currently, around 80% of scaffolds across the city are still made from bamboo, according to industry estimates. While steel scaffolding is more expensive – often two to three times the cost – it is widely seen as more robust, reliable, and better aligned with international safety standards.
The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims welcomed the change, calling on private developers to follow the government’s lead.
“Lives are being lost. Even if metal costs more, it pays off in long-term safety,” the group said. “This shift has been a long time coming.”
Some, however, see the move as the end of a cultural era. For many residents, bamboo scaffolds are a visual signature of the city – a striking contrast of tradition against modern glass and steel.
“It’s part of Hong Kong’s identity,” said one veteran scaffolder in Sham Shui Po. “But we can’t keep holding on if it puts people in danger. The world is changing.”
