BEIJING, Dec. 17 -- A database of Chinese poems and classics of literature will soon be open to viewers at home and abroad.

The database, still in its first phase, is made up of about 500 hours of video on the 100 most popular classic of Chinese poetry and short essays, said a press release from the People's Education Press, the database's publisher, on Wednesday.

The videos show readings and elaborations on the classics, including some from ethnic minorities like Mongolian, Tibetan, Uyghur and Korean. These works are presented in both their original languages and in Mandarin.

The public will be able to access the database through www.pep.com.cn, www.china-language.gov.cn and www.zhonghuayuwen.org.

In the second and third phrases of the database, the publisher plans to use classics of philosophy, politics and history.

The project, sponsored by the government, is the work of more than 40 experts and ten elite universities or institutes.