The flame stick is ubiquitous in wuxia novels. Called huo zhe zi (火折子 or 火摺子) in Chinese, it’s the olden days equivalent of the cigarette lighter or flashlight, a convenient, portable, easy to use source of quick light and a means to start other fires (such as lighting a lamp). Rather than carrying big unwieldy … Continue reading The Flame Stick — A Primitive Chinese Lighter