Evolution and Perpetuation of the Heritage

Opera performances in bamboo theatres thrived in Hong Kong after the Second World War, so there was a growing demand for professionals to build such temporary structures. In the heyday, there were over ten scaffolding companies specialized in building bamboo theatres. But as the economy of Hong Kong took flight and urbanisation was heading to new heights, the scaffolding companies turned to accepting commissions for construction sites because of the higher profit margin. In addition, there was a dwindling of young blood because most of young people were turned off by the working environment and the physically demanding nature of the job. The bamboo theatre building business went on a steady decline. Today there are only two such companies specialized in building bamboo theatres, with the number of veteran scaffolding masters less than forty.

Despite the waning trend of this industry, the traditional craft manages to continue in the two scaffolding companies still in business, through hands-on guidance from veteran mentors to apprentices, or from father to son. In the case of the latter, since members of the family-run business feel a strong commitment to upholding the traditional techniques, the heritage is sustained and conserved down to the very last detail. It is also encouraging to see more young people joining the industry as apprentices in recent years.