InfoAnda - Hong Kong's 'spiders' stick to bamboo scaffolding

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Conor Maynard storms into UK charts with debut album | | 6 August 2012
Former Chinese police chief's gang trial ends | 7 February 2010
Rail Industry Likes Economic Stimulus But Public Support Wanes | 19 February 2010

Major record labels join for Japan relief album | | 26 March 2011

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Hong Kong's 'spiders' stick to bamboo scaffolding

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Hong Kong's 'spiders' stick to bamboo scaffolding AFP - Wednesday, November 18 Send IM Story Print Hong Kong's 'spiders' stick to bamboo scaffolding HONG KONG (AFP) - – Nicknamed "spiders" for their gravity-defying skills in web-like constructions, Hong Kong's bamboo scaffolders have risen above predictions that their trade would disappear. They remain a common sight high above the streets of the city, scaling the sides of towering, ultra-modern steel and glass buildings on traditional bamboo poles linked through ancient design concepts. "People prophesied in 1957 that bamboo scaffolding was finished," former construction industry instructor Dan Waters told AFP, recalling the talk at an exhibition of new steel and aluminium gear. The prophecy has proved accurate in some other parts of Asia such as mainland China and Singapore, where bamboo has largely been banished from high-rise construction sites in favour of modern materials. But in Hong Kong, 1,835 registered bamboo scaffolders continue to play a vital role in forming the constantly changing skyline of the Chinese territory, and each year a handful of new recruits sign up. "I didn't want to stay inside a classroom," 18-year-old trainee Wong Tik-hong told AFP while sitting two storeys up on a horizontal pole, with a leg hooked around a vertical for support. "I was afraid when I looked up from the ground," he said of his early days of training at the Construction Industry Council (CIC) academy, where he and other students were erecting a frame against a wall. Wong's initial fear is not surprising in a trade that requires workers to clamber dozens of storeys on flimsy looking frames made from what botanists recognise as a species of grass, tethered together by nylon strips. A total of 16 people died by falling from scaffolding at construction sites in Hong Kong in the five years to 2008 -- nine of them scaffolders -- according to Labour Department statistics. Building confidence is an important part of the training, said academy instructor Tang Sung-yuen, who started his scaffolding career at the age of 14 in the late 1960s. The trainer, who scaled the bamboo wrappings of the Hopewell Centre in the early 1980s when the 64-storey building became the territory's highest structure, has classic advice for dealing with nerves at altitude: "Don't look down." Despite a strong emphasis on safety on the CIC course, students acknowledge that there are concerns surrounding their choice of career. "Even if they worry, there's not much my family can do, because I have to make a living. I have to find my way," said Wong's classmate Tsz Lung, who has his sights set on running his own firm of bamboo scaffolders. "I plan to become a boss," the 20-year-old told AFP. It takes several years before wages reach the going rate of around 700 to 800 Hong Kong dollars (90-100 US dollars) a day for experienced scaffolders. Newly qualified scaffolders can expect to earn 350 to 400 Hong Kong dollars a day, staying on that rate for the first four years until they take a masters qualification. At that wage, and with the risks involved, scaffolding is not a popular choice at the CIC academy. Only seven students are on the course this year, while about 30 have signed up for plumbing. Scaffolding contractor Y.H. So of Wui Fai holdings is uncertain about the future. "Last year only four students graduated from the CIC training academy. The government won't let us train our own staff," he told AFP. "All our trade is dying," he said. Speaking outside a bamboo covered cluster of new 50-storey towers in the Diamond Hill neighbourhood near Kowloon city, he told AFP that there was also no guarantee of a continuous supply of bamboo poles in the future. "I think change is coming. We are worried about the supply of bamboo in China," he said, explaining that most of it comes from wild bamboo groves in Guangxi province. "The supply will drop off. There are more towns and cities now in China," he said. But at the moment his bamboo demand is met without delay, including all the poles needed for the 30 million Hong Kong dollar contract at Diamond Hill that employs 30-40 full-time scaffolders a day. Instructor Tang at the CIC academy does not share So's pessimism and rejects concerns about the supply of bamboo, a fast growing plant ubiquitous throughout southern China. He also believes young men will continue to set their sights on becoming scaffolders, though "not everyone is capable of doing this job." The industry offers new recruits good opportunities to move from merely providing skilled labour to becoming bosses of their own firms. "And that's the ultimate goal for any worker in Hong Kong," he said. Dan Waters now knows that the 1957 prediction about the demise of bamboo scaffolding was premature, and believes it will still be around for a long time to come. He heard the forecast during a field trip with his building industry students at the construction site of the Furama hotel, where there was an exhibition of metal scaffolding. More than 50 years later the hotel has gone, replaced by the gleaming asymmetrical AIG tower -- and bamboo continues to be a major scaffolding material. "I didn't think it would last in 1957, but I'm more convinced than ever that it will carry on. It will certainly long last me out," said Waters. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Afghans say attack in east shows Taliban strength AP - 2 hours 2 minutes ago Thai diplomats visit alleged spy in Cambodia AFP - 2 hours 58 minutes ago Kidnapped Japanese freed in Yemen: mediator AFP - Wednesday, November 18 Bangladesh twins separated in marathon Australia surgery AFP - Wednesday, November 18 Hong Kong's 'spiders' stick to bamboo scaffolding AFP - Wednesday, November 18 News Search Top Stories Capital flows to US surge despite dollar weakness US says 14,700 declare foreign accounts under amnesty US wholesale prices up 0.3% in October Sarah Palin pushes book - and possible comeback Stamp out bank secrecy, corruption watchdog says More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Still losing cash, GM to repay aid early, plans 2010 IPO Mystery of Bangladesh's mass arsenic poisoning solved Fed seeking to ensure strong dollar: Bernanke Space shuttle Atlantis launches OPEC head: $75 to $80 a barrel a 'good price' More Most Viewed » Somali centenarian weds 17-year-old Fibre may keep asthma, diabetes at bay, study finds More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Israel okays new east Jerusalem homes dismaying US
Former SS member, 90, charged over Nazi massacre
YouTube to connect 'citizen journalists' with media outlets
US wholesale prices up 0.3% in October
Israel PM warns about Iran on navy tour
Technology failing disabled net surfers: forum
Hutu extremist leaders arrested in Germany
Sarah Palin pushes book
Iran defiant as Obama warns of 'consequences'
China's Internet users hail Obama's Web show
Zapatero confirms release of Spanish trawler
Stamp out bank secrecy, corruption watchdog says
French academic appears in Tehran court
Five sentenced to death over Iran vote unrest | International |
British inflation climbs 1.5%: official data
Amazon to launch Kindle in Canada
Iran says judiciary will decide fate of U.S. hikers
Internet access 'can be matter of life and death'
U.N. court acquits priest of genocide in Rwanda | International |
British town to offer free wi-fi to all residents
Pirates free Spanish ship, seize chemical tanker | International |
Microsoft to launch Azure cloud service early next year | Technology |
Kidnapped Japanese freed in Yemen: mediator
T-Mobile admits employee sold private data | Technology |
Dems, Republicans at odds over BofA, Merrill deal
China, US call for resumption of N.Korea talks
Parole board won't spare Ohio mutilation killer
Bangladesh twins separated in marathon Australia surgery
'Blair Witch' thieves prompt new signs in Md. town
Somalia, Afghanistan shamed in graft league table
Alaskans eager for Sarah Palin book release
6 suspected insurgents shot dead in Thai south
FDA says heartburn drugs can interfere with Plavix
UN official visits war-displaced in Sri Lanka
House Ag committee blasts Obama financial proposal
Hong Kong's 'spiders' stick to bamboo scaffolding
Energy Dept. walks the walk with smart building
IBM's new service jumps on cloud computing bandwagon | Technology |
2 Thais nabbed on charges of trading African ivory
US seeks max prison terms in Sears Tower plot
Indonesia leader urged to make anti-graft reforms
Army suicides to top 2008, but progress reported
Thai anti-govt protesters to hold prolonged rally
Senate hears need for bank overdraft controls
US sees Turkmen gas deal despite Caspian impasse
Group: Founder of Tibetan Web site gets 15 years
Report: EU ignores Turkmen rights abuse, seeks gas
Taiwan's consumer prices remain stable-c.bank
China, US vow to address trade disputes
Glam, kitsch, rock: Adam Lambert is out to entertain | Entertainment |
Swiss court to rule on Polanski bail in 2-3 weeks
Indonesian commission lays blame on police
Crawford's attempted blackmailer surrenders
Katy Perry plots next album, does 'MTV Unplugged'
Peter Jackson asked to up the agony in Lovely Bones | Entertainment |
"Raise the Red Lantern" author wins Asian book prize
World-class musicians play pocket-sized concerts
S.African inmates compete in 'Prison Pop Idol'
Elton John says he's back on his feet
Police: Man in custody in 'Cathouse' star's death
Saint Laurent's last belongings sold as his dog looks on
Fans rally behind Cat Stevens after comeback boos
Florida Policeman Shoots Pit Bull With Stun Gun, Saves Chicken
Historic Canadian Church Being Relocated To Louisiana
Poverty, corruption key in Afghan war: Oxfam
Ex-Latvian president challenges rivals on top EU job
NASA, Microsoft take Web surfers to Mars
US anger at new age rules for breast cancer tests
British govt to unveil new plans ahead of election
Intel's Otellini worries about PC "pinch points"
South Sudan violence kills 12, injures minister
14,700 declare foreign accounts under US tax amnesty
South Sudan violence kills 12, injures minister | International |
Former SS member, 90, charged over Nazi massacre
Virtual pioneers: Macedonia schools to get wired
Israel's Peres: Chavez, Ahmadinejad will fall
Hong Kong unveils long-awaited democracy blueprint | International |
Last chance prep talks wrap up ahead of Copenhagen
Iran sentences 5 to death in postelection turmoil
'Dozens' of layoffs at Associated Press: Guild
Sarkozy in Riyadh, says Mideast peace talks 'urgent'
The face that launched a thousand North Korean tirades | International |
Israel army punishes troops for settlement protest
Microsoft 'cloud' service Azure to launch January 1
Honduran Congress to vote on Zelaya fate after poll | International |
Palestinians, US, UK criticize Jerusalem plan
Cyber laws must punish individuals not society: specialist
Iran warns Saudi Arabia over Yemen offensive
Chile blasts spying comments by Peru's Garcia | International |
Google image search gets a 'swirl'
Five sentenced to death so far over Iran vote unrest
Al Qaeda Africa wing less a threat to Europe: official | International |
T-Mobile admits employee sold private data
NATO, Britain stress Afghan handover plans
EU shuts down ringtone scam sites targeting youngsters
Qualcomm CEO pins hopes on China,
RIM security chief sees smartphone attacks on horizon | Technology |
Colo. homeowner nabs suspected burglar in boxers
Intel's Otellini worries about PC pinch points | Technology |
Virtual pioneers: Macedonia schools to get wired | Technology |
Obama meets Wen as China visit winds down
Judge drops case against family that denied chemo
Four killed in Vietnam by war-era bomb: police
San Antonio rape kits to undergo DNA testing
Japan PM says no sign engineer in Yemen has been freed
Microsoft ordered to stop some Windows sales in China | Technology |
Dugard spokeswoman blasts plans for film on case
Obama wraps up China trip with PM talks, Great Wall
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 841
City trying to make sense of brutal gang rape
Death toll rises to 11 in S.Korea fire
Analysis: Obama's China trip shows power shifting
Ill congressman defends 'savage religion' comment
Majority in US see Afghan war not worth cost: poll
Pakistan army shows off gains near Afghan border
AP source: NYC newspapers' delivery offices raided
Afghans say attack in east shows Taliban strength
Thai diplomats visit alleged spy in Cambodia
Toyota sales show first rise in 15 months: report
Telecom giants converge at Asia's top mobile show
Snakes star in jewelry line from Pitt and Jolie
Morgan Stanley, MUFG to revise brokerage merger
S.Korea banks' Jan-Oct FX lending at $44.5 bln
Seoul KOSPI at 3-wk high on LG Household, Daewoo Sec
South Korean bonds steady ahead of auction, buyback
Seoul shares up; Shinsegae rises on Samsung Life
Chinese demand for platinum 'to hit record high'
Snakes star in jewelry line from Pitt and Jolie | Entertainment |
Chinatrust Financial to buy 30 pct of Nan Shan
IMF chief keeps up pressure on China to let yuan rise
China stifles Obama charisma
Janet Jackson blames doctor for Michael's death | Entertainment |
Kander and Ebb have a new musical _ off-Broadway
Palin drops strong White House hint
Fox's Major Garrett gets interview with Obama
New Sistine Chapel books to come out in Italy
Broadway revival of 'Oleanna' to close Jan. 3
Michael Jackson 'Moonwalk' glove set to sparkle at auction
Glam, kitsch, rock: Adam Lambert is out to entertain
No takers for fashion house Christian Lacroix: administrator
Sarah Palin coy about 2012 run, but door is open
Israel dismisses U.S. anger at settlement plan
EU-Russia summit tackles thorny gas issue
Video spurs explosion of Internet traffic
Obama vows Afghan exit; battered Karzai to take oath | International |
Death of an Iran prison doctor raises suspicion
China defence website gets 2 mln hack attacks: report
North Korea's nuclear plans cloud Obama in Seoul | International |
Vancouver to tone down its "sonic gun"
Israel dismisses U.S. anger at settlement plan | International |
R u wearing sunscreen? Text reminders can double usage
Seized tanker's captain dies, Alabama attacked again | International |
Iraq VP vetoes election law | International |
Microsoft ordered to stop some Windows sales in China
Iran detention centre doctor commits suicide: IRNA | International |
Afghans see no change to life of hardship, fear | International |
India says needs no help to heal Pakistan ties | International |
For victims, lengthy Khmer Rouge trial painful | International |
Fort Carson honors 15 troops killed in Afghanistan
Small firms scrapping, scaling back health plans
RIM security chief sees smartphone attacks on horizon | Technology |
Obama: No exact deadline for closing Gitmo
Smart kidnapper's apology could reap forgiveness
R u wearing sunscreen? Text reminders can double usage | Technology |
Obama: Job creation not goal of Dec. 3 jobs forum
AP Poll: Sometimes it isn't easy being green
EU ombudsman rebukes EU over errors in Intel case | Technology |
Obama 'probably won't' read Palin's book
SPIN METER: Feds buy green cars, auction rejects
Malaysia defends slide in global graft ranking
Black power has arrived _ with some new challenges
Meteor showers in Asia disappoint
PROMISES, PROMISES: 6 years and still no rules
Hong Kong to consult public on democratic reforms
Shuttle nears space station, docking scheduled
Last Chinese veteran of liberation of France dies
Kudzu-munching bug also threatens US bean crops
Vancouver to tone down its sonic gun | Technology |
Bomb left over from Vietnam war explodes, kills 4
Beverly Hills, LA councils ban declawing of cats
Hong Kong unveils long-awaited democracy blueprint
Afghan capital readies for Karzai inauguration
Microsoft told to stop some Windows sales in China
Delta offers JAL $1 bln financial lifeline
Maxis tipped to debut in S.E. Asia's biggest IPO
Pakistani foreign investment falls 21.2 pct
China Mobile says still in iPhone talks with Apple
Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ announces huge share sale
New Moon star Kristen Stewart says be extreme | Entertainment |
Tajiks write off $550 million debt owed by farmers
Glam, kitsch, rock: Adam Lambert is out to entertain | Entertainment |
MARKETS-KOREA-STOCKS (UPDATE 2)=2
S.Korea gives nod for Apple's iPhone; sales to begin soon
Ex-Kiss drummer: Breast cancer not just for women
US companies throw workers a bone with pet insurance
Putin spared as political satire returns to Russian TV
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Snakes star in jewelry line from Pitt and Jolie
Zhang considers war drama, romance as next project
A model dancer gone: 3 stars advance to finals
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01