| Season | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Dalian Wanda |
| Relegated | Shenzhen Feiyada Guangzhou Songri |
| Asian Club Championship | Dalian Wanda |
| Matches played | 132 |
| Goals scored | 292 (2.21 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Su Maozhen (13 goals) |
| Average attendance | 24,266 |
← 1995 1997 → | |
The 1996 Chinese Jia-A League (known as Marlboro Jia-A League for sponsorship reasons) was the third season of professional association football and the 35th top-tier overall league season held in China. Starting on April 14 and ending on October 27, Dalian Wanda win their second championship title.
Teams promoted from 1995 Chinese Jia-B League
Teams relegated from 1995 Chinese Jia-A League
It was contested by 12 teams, and Dalian Wanda won the championship.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalian Wanda | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 42 | 18 | +24 | 46 | 1997–98 Asian Club Championship qualification |
| 2 | Shanghai Shenhua | 22 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 38 | 18 | +20 | 39 | |
| 3 | August 1st | 22 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 28 | 19 | +9 | 35 | |
| 4 | Beijing Guoan | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 30 | 25 | +5 | 33 | |
| 5 | Jinan Taishan Jiangjun | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 24 | −1 | 31 | |
| 6 | Sichuan Quanxing | 22 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 22 | 23 | −1 | 30 | |
| 7 | Guangzhou Apollo | 22 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 26 | 25 | +1 | 29 | |
| 8 | Tianjin Samsung | 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 30 | −10 | 26 | |
| 9 | Guangdong Hongyuan | 22 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 20 | 25 | −5 | 25 | |
| 10 | Yanbian Hyundai | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 30 | −10 | 20 | |
| 11 | Shenzhen Feiyada | 22 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 29 | −16 | 16 | Relegated to Jia B League |
| 12 | Guangzhou Songri | 22 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 26 | −16 | 15 |
Player of the year (Golden Ball Award)
Top scorer (Golden Boot Award)
Manager of the year
Best Referee
CFA Team of the Year
Goalkeeper: Han Wenhai (Dalian Wanda)
Defence: Wei Qun (Sichuan Quanxing), Xu Hong (Dalian Wanda), Zhang Enhua (Dalian Wanda), Wu Chengying (Shanghai Shenhua)
Midfield: Peng Weiguo (Guangzhou Songri), Fan Zhiyi (Shanghai Shenhua), Ma Mingyu (Guangdong Hongyuan), Cao Xiandong (Beijing Guoan)
Attack: Hao Haidong (August 1st), Gao Feng (Beijing Guoan),
