Clearing the air

But global market penetration will take longer than research and development, Van de Vorle says.

"It still will take time before we get it into all markets, although we have applications ready for use," she says.

"We have to think about how we can decrease the number of people who are dying early because of pollution."

The World Health Organization recently declared air pollution "a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths".

While China's smog has captivated international attention, air pollution remains a global problem.

"In Holland, we don't have the amount of pollution which is visible - smog - but still we have air pollution," Van de Vorle says.

"The problem is, we can't see it. The smaller particles that you can't see are the most dangerous."

Cultural attache with the Dutch embassy in Beijing Patrick de Vries says: "We face similar challenges. It's fascinating to see how we both deal with them."

That fits Roosegaarde's philosophy.

"I'm hoping we can learn from each other to make more sustainable cities," he says.

His clients have called him a "hippy with a business plan".

He calls the project "techno-poetry".

"It's about merging the world's innovation with new imagination and a poetry agenda showing this is possible. So why aren't we doing it?" he says.

"We know it's possible. The technology is there. The necessity is there. Now, it's about finding a merge button."  

Wu Wencong contributed to this story.