Jinzhong city of North China's Shanxi province will pioneer prolonged weekends of 2.5 days from April 1 to stimulate the province's tourism industry, Beijing Times has reported.

The flexible work and rest system is applicable to Party and government organizations and public institutions, excluding government service offices. Social organizations and companies can also follow suit.

These organizations can have two 2.5-day weekends each month from April to October on condition that no fewer than half of the workers should remain on duty.

A strict procedure will be followed to monitor the system.

Those who take the 2.5-day weekend will work two extra hours each week or use other holidays to offset the half day rest on Friday afternoons.

Jinzhong city has adopted this method in response to the call of the State Council and the Shanxi provincial government for more flexibility to allow residents to travel outside peak hours, said the city's municipal Party committee.