It’s a plant that can be found around the world, and China is the largest producer. It’s strong yet flexible, and increasingly being used in more creative ways.

CGTN’s Frances Kuo explains.

The West is used to seeing bamboo in the firm grip of panda paws, but in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, bamboo has a different role.

China recently completed an underground pipeline system made from bamboo composite pipes.

Builders said these bamboo pipes have performed better than their traditional counterparts – typically steel and concrete – in resisting earthquakes and corrosion. Plus, they’re a lot lighter. At one-tenth the weight of conventional piping, they are easier to install and require less construction time.

There are cost and eco benefits as well. They cost between 10 and 30 percent less than those made with traditional materials, and are environmentally friendly.

Bamboo has long been a common building material in China and elsewhere in Asia, but now the west is catching on.

U.S.-based Boo Bicycles uses bamboo for their frames. It’s their material of choice because of its stiffness, durability and ability to absorb vibrations from the road.

The plants abundance could also spark similar projects. Bamboo is a type of grass, and can grow up to a meter per day.

Additionally, the shoots produce more oxygen than trees, breathing life into a new industry in China and beyond.

Andrew Linn talks modern versatility of bamboo

What are the modern day uses of bamboo? CGTN’s Elaine Reyes spoke to architect Andrew Linn of the World Bamboo Organization to find out how bamboo has gone from average plant to an every-day home product.