One thing that surprised me on my trip to India was that bamboo was still commonly used for scaffolding. I was blown away by the gigantic structures I saw being built -- skyscrapers, statues, modern office buildings -- that were covered in a bamboo skeleton, rather than the metal I was used to seeing in the United States. But no matter how unsettling it may be to look at, bamboo is used for a reason: it's strong, extremely lightweight, and very flexible (as you'll see in the photos). Check out this gallery of crazy bamboo scaffolding across Asia -- I hope you're not afraid of heights!

Filed under: Photos, Asia