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Hong Kong 'spidermen' scale bamboo heights
October 20, 1997
Web posted at: 3:52 p.m. EDT (1952 GMT)
HONG KONG (CNN) -- They are part artisan, part daredevil. They are the spidermen of Hong Kong, and many of us would be nervous just watching them climb their bamboo scaffoldings dozens of stories above the ground.
In a construction world dominated by glass, steel, concrete and brick, the aptly named spidermen weave their temporary bamboo scaffoldings, then scale them to perilous heights to erect gleaming skyscrapers.
Spiderman Chau Chung has woven bamboo webs all over Hong Kong for 35 years. He counts the 70-story Bank of China, the most famous of Hong Kong's modern landmarks, among his accomplishments. On a good day he can earn up to $130.
He took up the occupation because, he says, in his village in China, it was common to learn the trade.
"So, I decided to get into scaffolding in Hong Kong by starting off with an apprenticeship with a scaffolding master," he said.
Now Chau is, himself, a scaffolding master. With ease, he climbs up and down the bamboo poles, quickly hand-weaving a primitive grid pattern and securing it with plastic strips. There are no nails in the process, no drills, no staples.
As unstable as it may seem, Chau will proudly tell you that each square of bamboo grid can handle up to 1,000 pounds.
But pride in a job well done, he added, can sometimes be stripped away by greedy subcontractors and their desire for bigger profits.
"In the construction business there is a lot of competition these days, so if some subcontractor is willing to do the job for less by cutting the quality of the bamboo down, then the fee for the job is reduced and we get paid less," he said.
CNN's May Lee lets you climb with the spidermen of Hong Kong
(VXtreme 3 min.)2.1 MB/21 sec./320x240
782 K/21 sec./160x120
QuickTime movieNot only is the spiderman's fee reduced, but he must take more risk. With good bamboo, explained spiderman Law Lin Chung, the scaffolding is more stable. "Poor quality bamboo will give you a shaky scaffolding and could be dangerous to set foot on," he said.
But even with the added risks, the bamboo scaffolding experts of Hong Kong keep on weaving their way up the heights of Hong Kong, hanging on -- apparently without worrying too much about the potential dangers.
Correspondent May Lee contributed to this report.
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