New Delhi, Feb 1: China is publishing a cultural encyclopedia that will cover 20,000 ancient books and texts, which when completed, would become an extraordinary summary of the country’s historic works since the founding of the New China.

According to Xinhua News Agency, this encyclopedic series, which is titled "Zhong Hua Da Dian" (The Great Encyclopedia of China), had 49 volumes in print with more than 100 million words as of 2007.

The series is expected to cover various categories like history, literature, philosophy, astronomy, medicine and others.

The period covered ranges from the Qin Dynasty (221 B. C.-206 B. C.) to the Revolution of 1911, led by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty.

"The compiling and publishing of this encyclopedia is a significant symbol of China's prosperity in economics and culture," said Wu Shangzhi, a senior official of the General Administration of Press and Publication.

According to Wu, the series would be highly useful in conveying Chinese ancient documents to academicians and ordinary readers alike.

Work on the series began in 1992 with a government allocation of 400 million yuan (about 55 million U. S. dollars).

The series is scheduled to be finished by 2010 with more than 100 volumes and 800 million words. (ANI)