I’m the first to admit that whilst I try to keep a broad perspective on the world, I probably spend far too much time reading the same industry blogs that everyone else does.

That’s not to say that’s a bad thing, but sometimes you need a bit of new stimulus to feed the old grey matter. 

So as I've been travelling around Asia recently, I thought it would be worth sharing a few interesting things I saw along the way.

Eco building 

If you visit China, you can’t help but notice the vast numbers of new buildings that are appearing on the skyline.

But what amazed me is that even in Hong Kong, one of the most developed cities in Asia, bamboo is still used for scaffolding. Even modern sky scrappers are being built this way and whilst this might deplore UK health and safety regulators, the practice is quite logical. It’s lighter than steel, flexible, cheap and found in abundance. You also can’t help wondering if it’s more eco friendly as well. 

So would I venture up anything higher than six foot made of bamboo - er, probably not. But it is inspiring to see old traditions being used to meet modern demand.