Distraught Hong Kong villagers battle to save their homes

Ko Oi-sum lives in a cluster of three villages known as Wang Chau, set to be demolished to make way for 4,000 public housing units.-AFP

Hong Kong (AFP) - Ko Oi-sum's simple village home on the northwestern edge of Hong Kong is surrounded by trees planted by her mother -- she dries the leaves to make tea, espousing their health benefits.

But this ramshackle rural community of narrow alleyways, humble houses and freely roaming cats and dogs, is now under threat.