A file photo shows the scenic view of Jinggangshan Mountains in Ji'an, east China's Jiangxi Province. [Photo: Xinhua]

Government employees in two Chinese cities can now enjoy 2.5 days' weekly leave, twice a month.

Jinzhong in north China's Shanxi Province and Ji'an in east China's Jiangxi Province, are the first in China to adopt a new policy which encourages people to take Friday afternoons off to make a longer weekend.

The change comes after the central government issued a document on promoting tourism, which called on local authorities to allow flexible work schedules to give employees more weekend vacation time.

Giving further details, the National Tourism Administration said the 2.5 days weekly leave policy would not involve a cut in working hours, as time could be made up on other days, guaranteeing a 40-hour working week.

The new policy applies to people working for government departments as well as some public institutions.

The local authorities in Jinzhong and Ji'an have promised the new system won't affect the availability of their services for the public on Friday afternoons.