Heartbroken, they have to leave this historic village just before Chinese New Year

Nga Tsin Wai village is the last walled village in the heart of Hong Kong. The village is set to be demolished. Photos: EPA/AFP

A 650-year-old urban walled village in Hong Kong, the last of its kind, will be destroyed to make way for development in what critics say is another nail in the coffin for the city's cultural heritage.

On a chilly morning, around 20 remaining residents of Nga Tsin Wai village (衙前圍村), an ancient settlement in the heart of bustling Kowloon, despondently packed their belongings before the wrecking ball arrives in the coming days.