Vietnam forum

Disappointed not to find any information on the Citadel in Hanoi (also called Thanh Long Citadel and not to be confused with the one in Hue) on Travelfish's Hanoi attractions page, I hope that forum users can give an update: is the place now (end November 2012) open to visitors or not?

Potentially, it's one of Hanoi's top sights -- mixed in with remnants of the pre-1800 imperial palaces are archeological excavations and the command post/bunkers from which the North Vietnamese General Staff monitored their ultimately successful offensives against South Vietnam circa 1973-75.

The Citadel area was opened to the public for a while during the Hanoi 1000th anniversary celebrations in 2010 and since then there have been sporadic reports that it has been or may soon be reopened to visitors. There are also frequent posts to the effect that admission has been denied -- though it may be that folks are simply trying to get in the same door.

All in all, it sounds like the classic tussle between the national tourist authority (trying to make Vietnam accessible) and the internal security agencies (trying to keep things opaque). So, can anyone tell me what the current situation is re access to the Citadel?