Across the border in Yunnan and northern Thailand, the tremors exposed both strengths and gaps in preparedness.
Sirens, drills, and swift evacuations showed that lessons from past disasters had not been forgotten.
Yet the shared anxiety, the overloaded phone networks, and the uncertainty over hidden structural damage revealed how easily life can be upended.
In the end, the quake became a stark reminder that in this region, safety depends on what is built long before the shaking starts.
