The journey toward the modern disposable vape began in Beijing, China in 2004. Hon Lik, a pharmacist and inventor, created the first commercially successful electronic cigarette after losing his father, a heavy smoker, to lung cancer. In terms of prior art, the exact origins of his invention still need to be clarified as he didn't cite much in his patent applications. The company he was associated with, Golden Dragon Holdings, evolved the device and rebranded itself as Ruyan, translating to "like smoke."