This is a Bidayuh traditional bamboo footbridge. A bamboo stick may not be strong enough to support the humans’ weight, but when dozens of bamboos are arrange in an artistic shape, they can.

There are only 2 long bamboo sticks for us to step our feet on the bridge. We cannot run on the bridge because we can fall down easily especially when it is slippery. The rest of the bamboos were arranged in a way that they can support the 2 long bamboos (the feet steps) in a shape of inverted ‘y’. They become the handle of the bridge as well.

We have to hold both sides on the handle with our hands to prevent us from falling down. When I took the following video clip, I only use one hand to hold the handle. It was an interesting and risky experience.

We have to watch our steps when we get across the bridge otherwise we may have fallen down.

It may not be the best bridge but it is a valuable cultural element, which we should keep in musuem / cultural village.

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Modern vs Nature

Nowadays nobody is going to build a bamboo bridge like this for daily use (except in longhouse), everything is in concrete (even some of the modern longhouses are in concrete). We can hardly see any modern bulding structure made of nature elements. Why not let us combine the modern design and the natural elements together. We may create something that will be added on to the cultural village hundreds years later.

If bricks and concrete were to be replace by some other material, let us guess that if we can find the flat and condomimium in the musuem / cultural village thousands years in the future.