Wednesday, January 4, 2012 | By: Jessica Rapp (阮洁茜)

Home to more than 300 different species of bamboo and far-reaching plots of bamboo farms, China has no doubt made a versatile use of this hearty resource. For years, China has both used and exported bamboo for a wide range of products available worldwide, including flooring, kitchen utensils, decor, clothes and food. More recently, ambitious pioneers across Asia have added one more use to the list: a sustainable component for transportation. In our last post about bamboo, we told you about the trendy bamboo bikes that have cyclists drooling, but the panda snack doesn’t stop at two wheels.

Last year’s first ever Beijing International Design Triennial introduced BamGoo (pictured above), an electric car developed by Kyoto University in Japan, as part of the “Rethinking Bamboo” exhibition. The showcase aimed to introduce Beijing to bamboo designs from both eastern and western cultures in order to open discussion for a more well-rounded exploration of bamboo’s potential as a creative material. BamGoo represented one of many vehicles in Asia that incorporate the fast-growing plant into its structure, including the Meguru, a Japanese auto-rickshaw waiting to enter the market, and the bamboo taxi in the Philippines.

When will we see this trend outside the walls of exhibition halls in China? While there’s no word of cars as of yet, an expat engineer in Shanghai is currently working on marketing the Treecycle, a green, three-wheeled mode of transportation with a bamboo seat for two. Chris Trees and his wife, Florence, the developers of the Treecycle, are hoping that these trikes will help replenish Shanghai’s interest in cycling as a fun way to get around instead of simply an old-school machine for those without cars. Several prototypes of this new take on transportation are in the works, potentially making way for a more modern, eco-friendly replacement for the rusty 三轮车 (sānlúnchē, or cargo tricycles) and rickshaws that currently flood Shanghai’s streets. Take that Gilligan!

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