The devastation caused by the massive earthquake off the coast of Sumatra has left Hong Kong - a city unused to seeing major disasters - reeling in shock. Places which are popular destinations for Hong Kong tourists are among those badly affected, bringing home to the people the enormity of the disaster.
As they reflect on the tragedy, Hongkongers must feel that the city is blessed. Save for the occasional severe tropical typhoon, natural disasters rarely knock at our door.
Hong Kong's proximity to the mainland, which is predicted to be the rising economic powerhouse of the next decade, is seen as a blessing - giving it a competitive edge over its rivals, such as Singapore.
The city's natural advantages, however, have been overshadowed by the winds of doom and gloom which have been blowing fiercely in recent years. Opinion makers say that we must not blame heaven and Earth. Instead, it is the lack of public harmony that will damage society, they fear.
One high-ranking official has, for instance, mourned the fact that the discord among people over the West Kowloon cultural project has created grave uncertainty about the future of the whole project.
The official pointed to the fact that the 40-hectare site is virtually the last piece of harbourfront land available for large-scale development. At a time when the property market is on the upswing, he is adamant that the government could get a better deal when negotiating with consortiums for the development rights.
Endless bickering over the project, he said, would mean we lose the window of opportunity for the city to turn itself into a cultural hub. And he is not alone in warning about the potential for man-made catastrophes.