Hong Kong, bamboo grove

Would you cross this bridge made of bamboo?

[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/35413670@N07/4143819636/[/flickr]

Bamboo is the world’s fastest growing plant. It is a symbol of revitalization and hope, as it grows one section and it creates a base to grow the next one.

In our trip we also need to take some time in a city, to take a break and renew our energies for the next destinations. We did that in Kuala Lumpur and now we chose Hong Kong as a base for a few days.

And Hong Kong’s landscape reminds us of a bamboo grove, with hundreds of skyscrapers packed in a small area. Actually, the design of one of the city’s landmarks, the Bank of China Building, is said to have been inspired by the growth patterns of bamboo, as can be seen in its sectioned trunk (right).
[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/35413670@N07/4209014864/[/flickr]

During our time in Asia we have been curious about the different uses of bamboo, in many cases as a substitute of strong metals such as iron or steel.

We have seen bicycles with a bamboo structure, security barriers blocking roads, houses made solely of bamboo, and lots of bamboo scaffolding in the buildings. It doesn’t look as neat as metal structures, but it does the job.

[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/35413670@N07/4193703767/[/flickr]

And we have also seen bamboo bridges!

Yes, we now feel confident crossing them 🙂

[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/35413670@N07/4143061581[/flickr] [flickr-gallery mode=”tag” tags=”HK” tag_mode=”all”]