Urban planning

Any visitor to Hong Kong will notice that the iconic skyscrapers are built using bamboo scaffolding. It's a technique that has been used across China for at least 1,000 years. At first, it may appear to be dangerous, but in reality, it is just as safe as any other scaffolding technique. This video from 1963 shows how the city used bamboo as it was expanding, and westernizing, its infrastructure.  Let’s take a look back at workers erecting intricate webs of sky-high bamboo scaffolding.

Hong Kong’s Peak Tram is one of the world’s steepest funicular railways, sweeping passengers from the busy city streets in the Central district to the Victoria Peak in only six minutes. In service for more than 130 years, the Peak Tram is about to get a multi-million dollar upgrade. Current carriages can handle up to 120 passengers at a time, but new larger ones will have a capacity of 210. The change will require replacement of all haulage and control systems, installation of new rails, as well as reinforcement of track foundations and bridges along the tram route. The renovation will cost $87.1 million and is expected to be completed in early 2021. The work will force Peak Tram service to