In 2022, Shaodong was ranked 92 among more than 2,844 county-level regions in the country in terms of manufacturing prowess. Lighters are the pillar industry of Shaodong, employing more than 80,000 people, roughly 7.6 percent of the total local population.

Bai Jiabao, deputy general manager of Hunan Dongyi Electric Share Co, the largest lighter manufacturer in Shaodong, said the company started making lighters in 1994. Today, it can produce 12 to 13 million lighters per day of more than 200 types. The lighters are sold for prices ranging from 0.3 yuan to 30 yuan each.

More than 80 percent of its lighters are exported overseas to over 100 countries and regions, he said.

Although the profit made from each lighter is low, the company can still make money and stay competitive through investing in automation and upgrading the supply chain, he said.

While its cheapest lighters are sold for 0.3 yuan each, Bai said the company can make about 10 percent profit thanks to the use of automation.

The company started to invest in automation in 2013 and has spent around 60 to 70 million yuan in research and development in the sector.

The use of automation has helped Hunan Dongyi Electric Share increase its production capacity 20-fold, Bai said. While it used to employ more than 4,000 people to make around 1 million lighters a day, it now can produce more than 10 million with half the number of employees, he said.

"As a cheap and convenient source for fire, lighters cannot be replaced by any other tools and I am proud to work in this industry," Bai said.