Tibetan Opera, often described as a "living fossil" of Tibetan culture, was inscribed in 2006 on China's first national list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, with approval from the State Council. In 2009, it was recognized by UNESCO and included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Rooted in centuries of history, Tibetan Opera is a medium through which the world can appreciate the enduring civilization of China's Xizang Autonomous Region.