Feature: Rescued missing Trekker celebrates 21st birthday in Nepal's hospital bed

Unlike the regular silence in hospitals, the ninth floor of Grandee International hospital in Nepal's capital Kathmandu was filled with crowd and noise on Friday.

There was a rush among over two dozen journalists with all cameras flashing towards a big room, where a young man with spectacles was sitting on a window-side bed.

When he looked at cameras with a gentle smile, the ambiance of the room suddenly turned into silence again as only cameras' click-click were heard. The young man, named Liang Shang Yueh from China's Taiwan, is a miracle guy who was rescued alive on Wednesday after going missing for 47 days in the northern remote area in Dhading district.

Liang might not have ever imagined that he would be celebrating his 21st birthday after going missing for almost seven weeks in the Himalayan nation. But this was his fate.

"Thank you, everybody," Liang said before cutting two birthday cakes of his favorite flavors -- cheese and chocolate-- with "getting well soon" written over them. He also addressed the media in his native language before tasting the cake. It was a moment of joy for all, especially for Liang, as there was a sparkle in his tiny eyes filled with hope of life.

Liang's survival story and death of his girlfriend Liu Chen Chun is a surprise for the whole world.

The university students had received trekking permit for Langtang National Park located in Rasuwa district, effective from February 21 to April 1, through the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu.

They started their trek through neighboring Dhading district and lost contact with their families on March 9. According to locals, the two were last seen dancing with local women on March 8 on the occasion of the Women's Day in Tipling village and disappeared next day.

Search missions were carried out in the region through helicopters but the whereabouts of them were not located until Wednesday.

"They went missing in the same day when heavy rain and snowfall struck our area due to which they missed the track. When we went on search through foot, I noticed a colorful tent turned sleeping bag in a cave and went nearby. He greeted me with Namaste and said his girlfriend had died three days ago whose body was lying by his side," 52-year-old Dawa Tamang, a local of Dhading who found the trekkers, told the media.

Tamang was in a search mission by the rescue company Asian Trekking. "There was a prize tag of Rs 200,000 with the photos of the duo trekkers pasted in various locations. But it is not what lured me. I went on search for humanity," Tamang added.

Due to snowstorm, they had slipped and fell into a canyon before being stuck on a ledge at an altitude of nearly 2,600 meters.

Since Wednesday, Liang has been under special medical and psychological treatment in the hospital. According to the hospital, he needs nutrition, psycho-therapy and rehabilitation program to recover fully, and it might take few months.

Dr. Chakra Raj Pandey, medical director at Grandee International hospital said "He has started walking from this morning, it is a good progress. I found Liang very courageous and is a composed person. Though he suffered a lot, he hasn't lost his consciousness."

Since media was not allowed to interact with Liang directly, Dr. Pandey shared "He has mixed feelings. It is the greatest moment for him that he is alive but he also has a deep pain of losing his girlfriend who accompanied him in this journey for six weeks."

According to officials at the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, such missing incidents are on rise as more and more foreign tourists trek without seeking support from trekking agencies.

State Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Parashu Ram Tamang, who joined the Liang's birthday celebration, said "There are some policy-level problems. Our attention has been drawn and we are discussing about reforms."

At a time when the country's tourism is struggling to recover after the devastating earthquake of 2015, the story of miracle survival of Liang can be a big lesson for Nepal. Enditem