From The Great Race fable that gave birth to the Korean zodiac to the legend of the Nian beast in Chinese mythology to the history of Lucky Money in Vietnamese culture, a new exhibit set to open Friday at the Mississippi Children’s Museum-Meridian is aimed at helping children learn more about Asian cultures.

“Celebrations: Asian Culture,” a modular exhibit from the Freeman Foundation, will run at MCM-Meridian through Nov. 3 and, again, from Jan. 9 through Feb. 16.

Very hands-on, the modular exhibit is designed to bring children and families together to explore New Year celebrations in South Korea, China and Vietnam through the imagery of fireworks, lanterns, lotuses and kites.

“It is completely interactive,” said Hope Vollm, assistant director of education and programs. “It is going to have some things the children have never seen before.”

The exhibit features pieces such as a fireworks simulator, a play table with oversized chopsticks used to pick up plastic food, a large drum for children to beat, a station to create animals of the Korean zodiac using origami shapes, a simulator of The Great Race between the animals, and a station to simulate the lion dance to bring good luck for the new year, among other activities.

The exhibit has MCM-Meridian’s staff excited.

It will be MCM-Meridian’s first new permanent exhibit since the museum opened, as well as its first traveling exhibit that can be loaned out to the Mississippi Children’s Museum-Jackson or to schools, libraries and other museums as part of MCM’s traveling exhibits.

“It is meant to be shared,” Vollm said. “Any organization that is interested can request individual pieces or the whole exhibit.”

It is also the museum’s first bilingual exhibit with the information on the display printed in both English and Spanish.

“I think the children are going to enjoy learning about the different cultures and interacting with different exhibits that we have not had here at the museum,” said Rebecca Parker, assistant director of marketing and public relations.

Children will be captivated by the rich history, beauty and fun of these Asian New Year festivals, she said.

While a new exhibit, Parker said, “Celebrations: Asian Culture” is an extension of the Missi the Traveler Train Car exhibit, which is a geography-themed exhibit that encourages children to discover cultures and languages spoken around the world.

Museum members will be able to experience the new exhibit early on Thursday, Aug. 3, during an exclusive members-only preview night from 5-7 p.m. before opening to the public on Friday. Additional events and programs tied to the exhibit will take place throughout the fall and winter.

Over the past 20 years, the Freeman Foundation has made a major investment nationwide in helping children learn about and understand East Asian cultures through a partnership with the Association of Children’s Museums.

Initially, the foundation developed hands-on exhibits that traveled to children’s museums throughout the country. The MCM-Meridian exhibit is part of a new round from the Freeman Foundation Asian Culture Exhibit Series, whereby the foundation has created modular exhibits to stay permanently in museum galleries and communities to, hopefully, create a better understanding of Asian cultures.

Access to “Celebrations: Asian Culture” is included in both the museum’s general admission and museum membership.