| Season | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Dalian Wanda |
| Relegated | |
| Asian Club Championship | Dalian Wanda |
| Matches played | 132 |
| Goals scored | 305 (2.31 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Hao Haidong (14 goals) |
| Average attendance | 21,220 |
← 1996 1998 → | |
The 1997 Chinese Jia-A League (known as Marlboro Jia-A League for sponsorship reasons) was the fourth season of professional association football and the 36th top-tier overall league season held in China. Starting on March 16 and ending on November 29, it was contested by 12 teams and Dalian Wanda won the championship making it their third championship title.[ citation needed ]
On 20 July 1997, in a round 10 league fixture, Beijing Guoan defeated Shanghai Shenhua in the Jing–Hu rivalry by a score of 9−1.
Teams promoted from 1996 Chinese Jia-B League
Teams relegated from 1996 Chinese Jia-A League
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalian Wanda | 22 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 47 | 16 | +31 | 51 | 1998–99 Asian Club Championship qualification |
| 2 | Shanghai Shenhua | 22 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 36 | 22 | +14 | 40 | |
| 3 | Beijing Guoan | 22 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 34 | 20 | +14 | 34 | |
| 4 | Yanbian Aodong | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 29 | |
| 5 | Qianwei Huandao | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 29 | |
| 6 | Jinan Taishan Jiangjun | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 22 | −3 | 28 | |
| 7 | Sichuan Quanxing | 22 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 30 | 27 | +3 | 27 | |
| 8 | Guangzhou Apollo | 22 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 20 | −6 | 25 | |
| 9 | Qingdao Hainiu | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 27 | −11 | 25 | |
| 10 | August 1st | 22 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 22 | 34 | −12 | 25 | |
| 11 | Tianjin Lifei | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 28 | −8 | 23 | Relegated to Jia B League |
| 12 | Guangdong Hongyuan | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 38 | −22 | 16 |
