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Hong Kong.

A jungle of steel and concrete.

Here, over 9000 skyscrapers are crammed together, and it's considered one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

But look closely and you'll see an organic material that weaves itself through the cracks up the walls, completely engulfing entire structures.

This is bamboo, and Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used as a building material.

And these guys, well, they've built this whole thing from the ground up.

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While most scaffolding around the world is made with aluminum or steel, Hong Kong is one of the last places where bamboo is still widely used.

Western the buildings, maybe the scaffolding is decidedly eastern.

It's bamboo, only a fraction The price of steel all grown locally and to be had practically for the asking.

It has been a common construction material for centuries in China, but due to safety concerns, the art of bamboo building is mostly gone even in mainland China.

But it remains a valuable yet threatened industry in Hong Kong, where scaffolding structures consort up to 60 stories high.

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Go like Ugo as I would learn that need for precision is partially why bamboo scaffolding has largely disappeared outside of Hong Kong.

Unlike steel, which can be cut into precise pieces, bamboo is a plant and is much more fickle.

Not all pieces are consistent in quality and they have to be manually tied together, which requires a lot of skill.

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But bamboo has its benefits as well.

First, it's a sustainable material.

It is the fastest growing plant on earth.

It can grow up to 3 ft a day.

And because it reproduces through rhizomes, which are underground routes, it can self multiply e, which means that a grove of bamboo can technically grow and grow for up to 100 years.

Second compared to steal, bamboo is a much lighter material.

It's six times faster to put up and 12 times faster to take down.

It's also cheaper.

And if properly installed bamboo is stronger than steel and far more flexible.

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It is the ideal material for temporary structures, and in Hong Kong it is also used to build seasonal opera theaters, which pop up every spring.

But unlike scaffolding, which can be found everywhere all year round, thes theaters are limited to small villages in Hong Kong, where there is more space.

Way went to Cheung Chau, an island in Hong Kong, and met one of the last remaining bamboo theater artisans, he says.

Compared to scaffolding, theaters are much more difficult to build.

You don't have them or Chan's family has been building with bamboo for generations, although I have to say something.

Calculations for the theaters are done on the spot.

So what are the main components of a bamboo theater?

Thes wooden beams, which are made from fir trees, provide the main support for the theater.

Bamboo makes up the majority of the structure.

There are two main types of bamboo that are used.

Hi thes air, also the same type of bamboo used in scaffolding thing.

Although it's easy to learn, it takes years of practice to master.

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When the opera season is over, the theater is dismantled and the parts are recycled.

Bamboo theaters are temporary installations and an art form that is fading E a Xinjiang is going mobile.

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