Shaoju Opera artists improvise during a rehearsal in the city of Detroit, in the United States, on Jan 29. [Photo/ccmapp.cn]

A touring troupe from eastern Zhejiang province adapted one of the Shaoju Opera classics into a short video in the United States city of Detroit on Jan 29 to motivate China's morale in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

The short play, named United We Win, uses traditional artistic performances to mirror the ongoing battle against the virus and cheer people up -- and it attracted immediate popularity on the social media.

"Thunderstorm burst over the earth, virus rose from the unknown; The Golden Monkey (Monkey King, or Sun Wukong) shall swing his heavy cudgel and the universe will be cleared of dust," sang the performers.

The cast of the Shaoju troupe pose for a group photo in Detroit on Jan 29. [Photo/ccmapp.cn]

Shaoju is a regional opera originating from Shaoxing in Zhejiang province. With a history dating back nearly 400 years, Shaoju is widely known for the performance of the monkey character.

The 33-member troupe was sent by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism to join the Happy Chinese New Year celebrations in the United States. Their tour started on Jan 21 and the company will stage a total of eight Shaoju Opera performances in Chicago, Detroit, and Muscatine.