Literal meaning
Peng-bird (鹏) — journey (程) — ten-thousand (万) — li (里)
Origin
Zhuangzi (《庄子·逍遥游》). The opening section describes the mythical 鹏 (Peng), a giant bird whose wings span thousands of miles. When it migrates south, it climbs to ninety-thousand li before riding the great wind. Zhuangzi uses the image as a meditation on the smallness of ordinary perspectives. The four-character compression 鹏程万里 became the standard Chinese well-wish for someone with vast prospects ahead — graduation cards, send-offs, congratulatory toasts.
Examples
Usage & nuances
High register — written congratulations more than casual speech. Common at graduations, retirement send-offs, and inscriptions on gifts to younger colleagues.
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