Guangdong will reinstate the week-long 'golden week' in May - just a year after Beijing scrapped the national holiday - to boost consumer spending as the financial crisis batters the province's economy.
But to enjoy a seven-day break from May 1, people will have to give up two days of annual leave.
They will get their statutory holiday on May 1 and normal weekend off on May 2 and 3, while the holidays on May 4 and 5 will be made up by working on the subsequent weekend (May 9 and 10). The holidays on May 6 and 7 will be taken from annual leave.
National Tourism Administration spokesman Liu Xiaojun said early this month that local governments could extend the holiday if their economies needed extra stimulus measures, although the central government had no plan to do so.
The May Day holiday was shortened to three days last year, while three holidays - for the Ching Ming, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn festivals - were created.
Guangdong has seen exports drop 20.7 per cent in the first two months of this year.
The scheme will be compulsory for government offices and there will be no meetings for officials in the first half of May. However, it will be optional for the private sector.