A version of this story appears in The Bamboo Metropolis, the third volume of our Zolima Culture Guide. Pledge your support for our Kickstarter campaign and earn exclusive early bird deals! Sign up now at our Kickstarter page.
Becoming a bamboo scaffolder was never part of Yip Hon-ying’s plans. But when two friends signed him up for a bamboo scaffolding course, he ended up on a path that reshaped his life.
At 15, he knew little about the centuries-old craft that had helped build the city. “I only knew it was related to bamboo and thought it would be interesting,” he recalls. Never much of a student, Yip was astounded when his bamboo scaffolding instructor praised his work: it was the first time he had received a compliment from a teacher. Feeling the pride of such recognition, he realised he had found his calling, and he graduated from the one-year course with top marks in 2001.
Working in the industry proved different. “It was different from what I imagined,” the 41-year-old says. “What we learned in school was standardised and safety-focused. The basic technique is the same, but on site, safety procedures and working conditions keep changing.” Adaptability is therefore essential. “We face different jobs and requirements,” Yip says. “Those who are stubborn or conservative tend to be less efficient than those who are more adaptable.”
Yip’s talent and independent spirit earned him a skilled worker qualification at 19 — the youngest-ever qualified worker at the time. At 24, he founded Lok Sum Scaffolding Limited, specialising in truss-out bamboo scaffolding for household repairs. It is one of the 60 truss-out scaffolding “star enterprises” recognised by the Occupational Safety and Health Council.
The work has taken him to unexpected places, from celebrity homes to mortuaries, desalination plants and refuse chutes, with each job offering a new experience. “We see both sides of human nature as we enter people’s homes,” he says. “Some are kind, offering us drinks, snacks and reminders to be careful, while others are not very respectful. On the job, you realise how different people can be.”
Drawn to challenge and adventure, Yip often takes on jobs many scaffolding companies avoid. Among his most unforgettable was removing bamboo scaffolding from the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po in the winter of 2025. The November 2025 blaze was Hong Kong’s deadliest in more than 60 years. Bamboo scaffolding covered the estate’s eight blocks and was initially blamed for helping the fire spread. Yip’s company was the only one willing to remove it from the seven fire-damaged blocks.
Yip actually turned down the job — twice. As much as he relished a difficult task, he was keenly aware that dismantling the scaffolding after such an enormous disaster would be risky and unpredictable. “I had to take many things into account, including the safety of my colleagues,” he says. “Not everyone has the mentality to take on this kind of job.”
It was only when an official from the Housing Department approached him for the third time, saying no one else would take on the task, that Yip changed his mind. “I thought it was time to do something for my industry,” he says. “Someone had to handle the post-disaster work. We couldn’t just leave it there.”
He assembled a team of about 30 scaffolders, including his teachers, seniors and juniors, and spent three months on the job. They added bracing to prevent the fragile, fire-damaged structures from collapsing, worked with officials to determine the safest approach and used drones for inspections. “I can’t say whether I did the job well, but I’m most grateful that I kept my promise and that we fulfilled our responsibilities safely, without anyone being injured,” he says.
Asked about the future of bamboo scaffolding, Yip says the craft will not be fully replaced in the next decade, though he expects its share of the market to shrink. “I’m not a pessimistic person,” he says. “As long as there’s work, I’ll keep doing it.” Though Yip has other business ventures, bamboo scaffolding remains special to him. “This is the craft that built me up,” he says. “I hope that by the time I’m 60, I can still see bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong.”