Taobao Maker Festival kicks off in Hangzhou on Thursday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"People are waking up to the fact that less intake of cholesterol is conducive to their health. Plus we are inventing new cuisines using the imitation meat. We believe the preservation of cultural heritage can be best achieved through technology," he said.

Other sci-fi-like scenes at the fair include rapid-fire 3D printing technology and wearable tech that helps workers lift heavy loads.

Besides this peek into the future, there are certain areas dedicated to crossovers and cultural heritages that take guests back to the past. These include a series of "haute couture traditional Han-style" clothing and building blocks that recreate traditional Chinese architecture.