A container truck loaded with eyebrow pencils, mascara, lipstick, and other cosmetics departed from Zhejiang Qingyuan Oudi Industrial in Lishui, Zhejiang province, for Beilun Port in Ningbo on Oct 11.

These beauty items, manufactured in the mountainous county of Qingyuan in Southwest Zhejiang, are destined for Europe, the Americas, and Southeast Asia.

Zhejiang Qingyuan Oudi Industrial in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Qingyuan is one of China's largest pencil production hubs, with an annual output exceeding 10 billion pencils and a total output value accounting for over 40 percent of the national total.

Facing intense market competition, local companies like Oudi pivoted to wooden eyebrow pencils as an innovative breakthrough, creating a new niche in the cosmetics industry.

The shift began over 26 years ago when Zhou Guangjun, the founder of Oudi, noticed the high demand for eyebrow pencils compared to ordinary pencils at a trade fair in Shanghai.

After returning to Qingyuan, Zhou invested over five million yuan ($700,535) in research and development, overcoming significant technical barriers to produce eyebrow pencil cores.

In January 2002, Oudi exported its first batch of eyebrow pencils to Africa. Since then, its overseas markets have expanded from Africa to Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America, with Europe now accounting for over 50 percent of sales.

Wooden eyebrow pencils manufactured by Zhejiang Qingyuan Oudi Industrial. [Photo/Tide News]

In 2015, responding to international client demand, Oudi further diversified into other cosmetics like eyeshadow and blush, investing 30 million yuan in technological upgrades.

Oudi's transformation reflects a broader trend in Qingyuan. Multiple leading enterprises have launched a total of 13 cosmetics brands, with the output value for eyebrow pencils and cosmetics reaching 200 million yuan annually.