I remember this as one of the slogans we shouted on the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations of the early 1970s. Then, of course, Ho Chi Minh was leader of North Vietnam and Hanoi was engaged in a fierce war with America to reunite the country. Now it is the capital of a unified Vietnam and the war seems long forgotten.

Flying in, the most noticeable thing is how green the countryside is. This continues on the drive from the airport with rice paddies and vegetable fields on both sides of the motorway. These continue virtually into the centre of the city, worked by peasants in traditional conical hats. But sticking up out of the fields are huge advertising hoardings. Apart from the expected adverts for banks and electronics, are ones for diesel engines, cement and Dulux Weathershield.

As we enter the city the buildings are a hotchpotch of old traditional styles, colonial interspersed with concrete, Soviet style tower blocks. There is very little new development. In fact, in marked contrast to both the former Communist countries of eastern Europe and China there is little evidence of ostentatious wealth either in the form of big flash houses or cars.

The preferred mode of transport in Hanoi is the motorbike. There are literally millions of them cramming the streets. Rules of the road seem noticeable by their absence. They drive the wrong way up one-way streets or even the wrong way along a dual carriageway. Going in the wrong direction? No problem just do a U-turn. Horns take the place of signals and brakes.

Crossing the road is either an act of supreme courage or extreme desperation! The preferred method seems to step calmly into the maelstrom and walk slowly but deliberately across the road. Miraculously the bikes will weave a path around you and rather like Moses parting the Red Sea, you successfully reach the other side.

Pavements are certainly not for walking on - they exist either as parks for the bikes or places to sell. And selling is big here. There are thousands of little shops selling everything imaginable. As well as traditional silk, lacquer-ware and other local crafts ,it is possible to buy just about anything we would see at home - many of the goods we get in our shops are now made in Vietnam.

I'm not sure what Uncle Ho would make of it all.