Hong Kong's ancient bamboo scaffolding industry faces an existential threat as government plans to replace it with metal scaffolding. The city is home to 2,500 bamboo scaffolding masters, with specialized bamboo theatre artisans declining from 80 to only about 40 since 1989. This became a political flashpoint following a deadly apartment fire where authorities initially blamed bamboo scaffolding for the fire's spread.

Despite safety concerns, bamboo offers practical advantages in construction. The material is lighter, more resilient, and more affordable compared to metal. Bamboo's flexibility allows workers to build in narrow spaces where fixed-size metal poles cannot fit, making it particularly valuable for Hong Kong's dense urban environment where construction sites are often limited.

The craft also holds significant cultural and economic value. Bamboo scaffolding is essential for building traditional theatres for festivals, with about 30-40 constructed annually across the city. Last December, Hong Kong built the world's largest temporary bamboo structure altar for the Kam Tin Heung Jiao Festival, assembled using over 30,000 bamboo poles, demonstrating both cultural preservation and economic potential.