You know what, one has to throw a long and heavy bamboo pole out (with much wet clothes on and wetness does add weight to the pole) and tucks it into a tiny hollow outside. Some mishaps did happen. Poles and people both fell to the ground....
I took some photos ages ago (oh sorry, I am @prch and manning the @orientalhub account now) in Hong Kong where ageing public residential buildings do have these too.
Hi, @prch. Oh my gosh! My Singaporean friend who's in an apartment is always scared to walk through the coutyard as all the households' balconies face onto the countyard and both clothes and poles might fall off....