Bến Tre ( listen) is the capital city and the municipality for Bến Tre Province, in the Mekong Delta area of southern Vietnam. The city covers an area of 65.75 km2 and has a population of 143,639 (as of 2009). Bến Tre is 85 km south-east of Ho Chi Minh City and is connected to the surrounding provinces by Rach Mieu Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge which was completed on the 19th January 2007.