About the association
BICERA is a voluntary social and professional organisation of ceramics makers, operating under a charter approved by the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee.
Purpose
The association was formed on a voluntary basis by individuals and organisations working in, or with an interest in, the ceramics business in Ho Chi Minh City.
Its purpose is to bring members together and connect them; to defend their lawful and legitimate rights and interests; and to build a setting of trust, shared knowledge and mutual support that raises the effectiveness of their work and contributes to the country's economic and social development.
Legal status
The association holds legal personality, its own seal and its own bank account, and operates under Vietnamese law and its approved charter.
- Vietnamese name: Hiệp hội Gốm sứ Bình Dương Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
- English name: Binh Duong HCM Ceramics Association
- Abbreviation: BICERA
- Office: 888 Binh Duong Boulevard, Thuan An Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
Scope of operation
The association operates across Ho Chi Minh City in ceramics production and trade. It is subject to state management by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and to sector management by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, together with other relevant agencies.
Operating principles
- Voluntary and self-governing
- Democratic, equal, open and transparent
- Self-financing
- Not for profit
- Bound by the Constitution, the law and the association's charter
From Binh Duong province to Ho Chi Minh City
The association was founded in 2010 in Binh Duong province. Following the reorganisation of administrative units, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee issued Decision 1444/QĐ-UBND of 12 September 2025, converting mass organisations established in Binh Duong province, Ba Ria — Vung Tau province and the former Ho Chi Minh City into organisations of the new Ho Chi Minh City.
The congress for the 2025 — 2028 term, held on 5 December 2025, adopted a new charter. That charter was approved by Decision 2854/QĐ-UBND of 15 May 2026.
National intangible cultural heritage. On 23 November 2021 the Binh Duong pottery craft was entered on the national list of intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The craft here goes back some two hundred years, built on the clay beds along the Saigon River and the skills of Vietnamese and immigrant Chinese potters.
A note on the name: the association keeps “Bình Dương” in its title because that is the name of the craft region, but the legal entity now belongs to Ho Chi Minh City and its sector regulator is the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade.
Altar figures — the Cantonese lineage
The Cantonese lineage specialised in decoration for temples and communal houses and in garden pieces: large forms, thick walls, polychrome glazes over relief. A pair of attendants holding the Sun and Moon tablets is a familiar example.
Governance
The association is structured as a congress, an executive board, a standing board, an inspection board, and such bodies as the association establishes under it.
Congress
The highest governing body. The founding congress serves a three-year term; from the second term onward the congress is held every five years. An extraordinary congress is convened at the request of at least two thirds of executive board members or at least half of all full members.
Executive board
The governing body between congresses, elected by the congress from among full members. It meets quarterly and may meet online or in a combined format.
Standing board
Elected by the executive board from among its own members, comprising the chairman, vice-chairmen and members. It directs the association's work between executive board meetings.
Inspection board
Elected by the congress to monitor compliance with the charter, congress resolutions and the association's internal rules, and to examine complaints, petitions and disputes relating to the association.
Chairman
The chairman is the association's legal representative and is answerable at law for all of its activity. The chairman is elected by the executive board from among standing board members, may not chair more than two associations, and may not be an official of a body that directly regulates or advises on the association's main field of operation, except with written approval from the competent authority.
The membership of the executive, standing and inspection boards for the 2025 — 2028 term will be published on this page.
The creative craft cities bid
On 5 August 2026 Ho Chi Minh City issued Plan 424/KH-UBND to bring the Binh Duong ceramics craft villages into the Network of World Creative Craft Cities. The scheme spans six wards — Lái Thiêu, Thuận An, Chánh Hiệp, Tân Khánh, Thủ Dầu Một and Thuận Giao — with recognition targeted for early December 2026.
Larger member companies of the association are partners in the scheme alongside art schools and vocational training institutions.