Ping
''Look up [[ping]] or [[Ping]] in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.'' Ping may refer to a variety of concepts and entities in different fields, including arts and entertainment, people, places, science and technology, sports and recreation, and other uses. For specific topics, see the relevant sections below.Arts and entertainment
Fictional characters
In the 1998 Disney animated film Mulan, the protagonist Fa Mulan disguises herself as a man named Ping to join the Imperial Army in place of her aging father, allowing her to fight against the Huns while concealing her gender.[1] This alias, "Ping," becomes central to her character arc, symbolizing her bravery and deception as she trains under Captain Li Shang and ultimately reveals her true identity to save China.[1] The disguise persists in adaptations, including the 2020 live-action remake, where Mulan (portrayed by Liu Yifei) maintains the Ping persona during military exploits. Mr. Ping is the adoptive father of the panda warrior Po in DreamWorks' Kung Fu Panda franchise, debuting in the 2008 film as a devoted goose who owns and operates a noodle restaurant in the Valley of Peace.[2] Voiced by James Hong across the series, Mr. Ping raises Po after finding him as an abandoned infant goose egg hatched into a panda, instilling values of hard work and family through their shared noodle-making tradition.[3] His character evolves in sequels like Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) and Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), where he grapples with Po's destiny as the Dragon Warrior while confronting his own insecurities about their unconventional bond, ultimately embracing Po's biological heritage alongside his role as a loving parent. In Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024), Mr. Ping continues as a supportive figure, highlighting themes of acceptance and resilience.[3] The Story about Ping, a 1933 children's book by Marjorie Flack and illustrated by Kurt Wiese, features Ping as a young domesticated duck living on a houseboat with his extended family on China's Yangtze River.[4] The narrative follows Ping's daily routine of foraging for food and returning to the boat each evening, but one day he tarries too long, misses the departure, and faces peril while navigating the river alone, learning lessons in responsibility and the comfort of home.[4] Themes of independence, family unity, and problem-solving are central, with Ping's adventure culminating in a joyful reunion, making it a enduring tale for young readers about embracing discipline amid exploration.[4] Jiang Ping is a prominent knight-errant in the 19th-century Chinese novel Three Heroes and Five Gallants (Sanxia wuyi), written by Shi Yukun, where he serves as one of the "Five Gallants" upholding justice during the Song dynasty.[5] Nicknamed the "Overturning-River Rat" (Fanjiang Shu), Jiang Ping is depicted as a clever strategist and martial artist with expertise in water-based combat, often aiding his comrades in battles against corrupt officials and bandits.[5] His backstory involves loyalty to the heroic brotherhood, and he features prominently in key denouements involving chivalric quests, reinforcing ideals of righteousness and camaraderie in traditional wuxia literature.[6] Other minor fictional characters named Ping include the pink Tiddlytubby, a baby-like figure in the children's television series Teletubbies (introduced in 2015), who engages in playful antics alongside the main Teletubbies in Teletubbyland.[7]Films and other media
Ping! is a 2000 American family comedy film directed by Chris Baugh.[8] The story centers on a Chihuahua named Ping, adopted by the nearsighted widow Ethel (Shirley Jones), who mistakenly believes the dog is a cat, leading to comedic chaos when two inept thieves (played by Judge Reinhold and Clint Howard) target her home for a rumored hidden fortune, only to be thwarted by the clever pet.[9] The film draws inspiration from Home Alone, emphasizing slapstick humor and animal antics in a small-town setting.[10] Apple launched iTunes Ping in September 2010 as a social networking feature integrated into iTunes 10, designed to facilitate music discovery through user interactions such as following artists, sharing favorite songs and albums, posting opinions on tracks, and viewing upcoming concert dates.[11] Users could connect with friends and artists to build personalized music feeds, blending elements of Facebook with iTunes' digital storefront to encourage purchases and engagement.[11] Despite initial promotion by Steve Jobs, including a demo with Lady Gaga, the service struggled with low adoption and integration challenges, leading to its discontinuation in June 2012 and full shutdown by October of that year.[12][13] In blogging and content creation, Ping refers to an XML-RPC-based protocol that enables websites, including entertainment blogs, to automatically notify search engines and feed aggregators of new or updated posts for efficient syndication via RSS feeds.[14] This mechanism supports real-time distribution of media-related content, such as film reviews or music news, to subscribers and directories without manual intervention.[14] The term "ping" also denotes a common sound effect in television production, often representing electronic notifications, sonar echoes, or lightbulb moments, as heard in episodes of shows like Star Trek for alert signals or in animated series for comedic cues.[15]People
As a surname
Ping (平) is a Chinese surname whose Mandarin pinyin romanization derives from the character meaning "flat" or "even."[16] It originated from the name of a fief called Ping (平) located in present-day Linfen, Shanxi province.[16] In the Wade–Giles romanization system, it is transcribed as P'ing.[17] The surname also traces to other ancient lineages, such as descendants of officials enfeoffed in Pingyang (平阳) in Shanxi during the Spring and Autumn period.[18] Historically, bearers of the Ping surname included members of ancient Chinese nobility and officials.[18] In modern times, the surname remains common among Overseas Chinese communities, with most emigrants in the past 400 years originating from Guangdong and Fujian provinces.[17] Globally, it is borne by over 500,000 people, predominantly in Asia (98% of occurrences), including significant populations in China, Cambodia (6% of global bearers), and Malaysia (3%).[19] Notable contemporary bearers include Ping Tom (1935–1995), a Chicago businessman and civic leader who founded the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce and advocated for community development, including the creation of public open spaces along the Chicago River; the Ping Tom Memorial Park is named in his honor.[20] Variations of the surname include Bing (邴), an ancient name linked to a fief and meaning "happy" or referencing an old city, which was romanized as Ping in the Wade–Giles system.[17] This distinction highlights how older transliteration practices could conflate similar-sounding Chinese surnames in historical records.[21]As a given name
Ping is a given name of Chinese origin, most commonly derived from the character 平 (píng), meaning "level," "even," or "peaceful," or 萍 (píng), referring to "duckweed" or evoking imagery of a lotus in poetic contexts.[22][23] In Chinese naming conventions, it often appears as a standalone given name or part of a compound name, selected to convey aspirations for tranquility and balance.[24] The name is unisex, used for both males and females in Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking communities across East Asia, reflecting flexible gender norms in traditional naming practices.[24][25] Historically, Ping has been borne by prominent figures in Chinese royalty and scholarship. One of the earliest recorded bearers is King Ping of Zhou (r. 770–720 BCE), the thirteenth king of the Zhou dynasty and the first ruler of the Eastern Zhou period, who relocated the capital from Haojing to Luoyang following invasions by northern tribes.[26] Another notable ancient figure is Emperor Ping of Han (9 BCE–6 CE), an emperor of the Han dynasty whose brief reign marked a period of regency and political intrigue under the influence of consort clans. Another prominent historical figure was Guan Ping (d. 220 AD), a military general and adopted son of the renowned Three Kingdoms-era warlord Guan Yu, known for his loyalty and valor in battles against rival states. In the 20th century, the name appeared among diaspora communities. Ping Ping (born Eddy Helder, ca. 1923), a Surinamese singer of Chinese descent, gained recognition in the 1950s and 1960s for calypso and Latin-influenced tracks like "Sucu Sucu," blending Surinamese and international styles.[27] A contemporary example is Ping Fu (born 1958), a Chinese-American entrepreneur who co-founded Geomagic in 1997 and served as its CEO, developing 3D software tools that revolutionized digital modeling in industries from manufacturing to healthcare.[28][29] The following provides a chronological overview of select notable bearers of Ping as a given name:Places
Natural features
The Ping River is a principal tributary of the Chao Phraya River, flowing through northern and central Thailand. It originates at Doi Thuai in the Daen Lao Range, Chiang Dao district, Chiang Mai province, on the border with Myanmar.[30][31] Stretching approximately 660 km southward, the river joins the Nan River at Ban Pak Nam Pho to form the Chao Phraya near Nakhon Sawan, draining a basin of approximately 35,000 km² that supports extensive agriculture.[32][33] Since the 13th century, the Ping has been integral to the Lanna Kingdom's economy and culture, serving as a trade route from Yunnan to the central plains and enabling wet-rice irrigation systems that sustained urban centers like Chiang Mai, founded by King Mengrai in 1296 CE along its western bank.[31][32] Today, it remains essential for irrigation in Thailand's rice-producing heartland, with dams like Bhumibol regulating flow for agriculture and flood control, while the basin's wetlands preserve biodiversity amid seasonal flooding.[31][34][35] Ping Island (萍岛), a natural river island in the Xiang River system, lies 4 km northwest of central Yongzhou in Hunan Province, China, at the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang rivers.[36][37] Elliptical in shape with a perimeter of roughly 600 meters and an area of 0.06 km², the island features ancient camphor and osmanthus trees that form a resilient evergreen ecosystem amid dynamic water levels.[38] Renowned for scenic vistas such as the "Pingzhou Spring Surge," where rising waters create an illusion of the island floating like duckweed, it holds ecological value as part of the upper Xiang River's protected wetlands, supporting local biodiversity and historical landscapes.[36][37][38] Several ancient settlements dot the banks of the Ping River in Thailand, reflecting its longstanding role in human habitation.[32]Settlements and administrative regions
Pingxiang County (平乡县) in Hebei Province, China, is a rural administrative division under the jurisdiction of Xingtai City, covering an area of approximately 406 square kilometers with a population of about 288,000 as of 2017.[39] The local economy relies on both agriculture, including grain and vegetable production typical of Hebei's North China Plain, and industry, particularly the manufacturing of children's bicycles and wheeled toys, which accounts for 40% of global supply and 50% of China's domestic market through a network of large plants and small rural suppliers.[40] In Shaanxi Province, places named Ping include Pingli County (平利县) in the southeast, administered by Ankang City, spanning 2,647 square kilometers with a population of around 230,000 across 11 towns and 137 villages.[41] The county's economy centers on agriculture, such as tea cultivation with a history tied to ancient practices, and emerging green industries focused on ecological resource utilization.[42] Smaller settlements like Ping townships and villages exist in various Chinese provinces, often as rural administrative units supporting local farming communities. Outside China, Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chicago, Illinois, USA, is a 17.44-acre urban green space in the Chinatown neighborhood of Armour Square, dedicated on October 2, 1999, to honor Ping Tom, a prominent Chinese American civic leader.[43] Acquired by the Chicago Park District in 1991 from a former railroad yard along the South Branch of the Chicago River, the park features Chinese-inspired landscape elements including a pagoda pavilion, walking paths, gardens, a children's playground, athletic fields, and a boathouse offering kayak rentals and river access for public recreation.[43][44] Historically, settlements named Ping in China include the ancient city of Pingyao in Shanxi Province, established as a county-level administrative center during the 14th century Ming Dynasty but with origins tracing back over 2,800 years to the [Western Zhou](/page/Western Zhou) period, serving as a key economic hub.[45]Science and technology
Computing and networking
In computing and networking, "ping" most prominently refers to a diagnostic utility used to test the reachability of a host on an IP network and measure the round-trip time (RTT) for data packets. The tool sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request packets to the target host, which responds with ICMP Echo Reply packets if reachable, allowing administrators to verify connectivity and estimate network latency. Developed by Mike Muuss in December 1983 while working at the U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory, ping was created to troubleshoot issues on the ARPANET after Muuss overheard a discussion about using timed ICMP packets for latency measurement.[46] The utility quickly became a standard tool across operating systems, with implementations in Unix-like systems, Windows, and macOS. To invoke ping, users typically enter a command likeping [example.com](/page/Example.com) in a terminal, which continuously sends packets until interrupted; options such as -c 4 limit it to four probes for brevity. Successful replies display the RTT in milliseconds, packet size, and sequence number, while errors provide diagnostic clues—for instance, "TTL exceeded in transit" indicates the packet's Time to Live (TTL) value reached zero before arriving, often due to routing loops or excessive hops, prompting the intermediate router to discard it and send an ICMP Time Exceeded message.[47] This functionality, rooted in ICMP as defined in RFC 792, remains essential for network troubleshooting, though firewalls may block ICMP traffic to prevent reconnaissance attacks.[48]
In online video games, particularly multiplayer titles, "ping" denotes the network latency between a player's device and the game server, measured in milliseconds as the time for a data packet to travel round-trip. Low ping values—ideally under 50 ms—enable responsive gameplay, allowing real-time synchronization of actions like movement and shooting in competitive genres such as first-person shooters.[49] Higher ping introduces lag, where inputs delay, disrupting timing and fairness; for example, values above 100 ms can render games unplayable, while jitter (variations in ping) and packet loss exacerbate issues by causing erratic performance.[50] Game clients often display ping in real-time to help players select optimal servers, underscoring its role in user experience.
Beyond diagnostics, "ping" in blogging refers to protocols for notifying websites of incoming links, facilitating interconnected content discovery in weblogs and RSS feeds. Pingback, an XML-RPC-based mechanism introduced in 2002, allows a linking site to automatically send a notification to the linked site's server upon publishing content with a hyperlink, verifying the link exists before alerting the author. Trackback, a related RESTful protocol using HTTP POST requests, enables manual or automated pings with metadata like title and excerpt, originating from Six Apart's Movable Type software in 2002 to promote cross-blog conversations.[51] These XML-RPC push methods, now largely superseded by Webmentions, were integral to early web syndication but raised spam concerns due to unverified notifications.
Apple's iTunes Ping, launched on September 1, 2010, as part of iTunes 10, was a short-lived social network integrated into the iTunes Store for music discovery among its 160 million users. Users could create profiles to follow friends and artists, post opinions on songs or albums, share recent purchases, and indicate concert attendance, with a feed aggregating activities and top-downloaded content.[11] Accessible via desktop iTunes or iOS devices, it partnered with Live Nation for event data but struggled with low engagement, leading to its discontinuation on September 30, 2012, as Apple pivoted to third-party integrations like Facebook and Twitter.[12]
In modern digital communication, "ping" has evolved into slang for sending a brief message to solicit a response, as in "ping me on Slack," drawing directly from the networking utility's echo-like probing. This usage, documented in tech contexts since the early 2000s, emphasizes quick, low-commitment contact across messaging platforms, reflecting the term's shift from technical diagnostics to everyday interpersonal signaling.[52]