Meaning:

    “洗” means to “wash” or “clean,” “肺” means “lung,” and “游” means “tour.” Literally, this term means “a tour during which one can have his or her lungs cleared.” Given the frequent smog in cities like Beijing, some travel agencies have promoted tours to places known for good air quality like the southern Chinese cities of Guilin, Lijiang and Sanya and overseas destinations of Bali, Maldives and Phuket. These tours are advertised as lung-clearing tours where people from smog-hit regions can fill their lungs with clean fresh air.

    Example:

    A: 领导们在北京开会，从天而降的假期让我欣喜万分。

    Lǐngdǎo men zài běijīng kāihuì, cóngtiān érjiàng de jiàqī ràng wǒ xīnxǐ wànfēn。

    The leaders are having important meetings in Beijing, and I’m so happy with the unexpected days off work allowed to Beijing citizens.

    B: 你没去哪儿玩吗？

    Nǐ méi qù nǎr wán ma?

    Didn’t you go somewhere else to have fun?

    A: 我这是在桂林跟你聊天呢。

    Wǒ zhèshì zài guìlín gēn nǐ liáotiān ne。

    I’m chatting with you now from Guilin.

    B: 原来你也去洗肺游了。

    Yuánlái nǐ yě qù xǐfèiyóu le。

    So you too went on a lung-clearing tour.