Hong Kong bamboo scaffolding specialist Ho Ping-tak brimmed with pride as he recalled the many landmarks he had worked on since arriving from mainland China in 2000.
Among them were the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon – the city’s tallest building – the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and the Kai Tak Stadium which opened earlier this month.
“I have put in a lot of blood and sweat,” said the 50-year-old, who is chairman of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Bamboo Scaffolding Workers Union (Tung-king).
The city’s army of more than 10,000 registered scaffolders erect and dismantle sturdy bamboo scaffolding swiftly on construction sites, using techniques passed down the generations for thousands of years.
Ho was concerned that the traditional method would disappear amid concerns about safety, following a number of recent incidents.
The Development Bureau has announced that metal scaffolding must be used in half of the public works contracts for new building construction tendered from March 21, which would involve one or two new projects this year.
