The 2025 Chinese Super League season is over the halfway mark and it has already seen multiple matches break records for club attendances.
But which matches in the history of the league can boast having the largest crowds in the Middle Kingdom? Which club holds the distinction for appearing on the list the most?
Here are the five largest attendances in Chinese Super League history. This list does not include attendances for the Chinese FA Cup, solely focusing on league fixtures.
5. Dalian Yingbo vs Shanghai Shenhua, 2025
Had this list been written earlier in the season, the first entry on this list may have been significantly different as the debut of Dalian Yingbo in the top tier has certainly shaken things up.
Earlier in the year, a home fixture against Changchun Yatai eclipsed 60,000 and many wondered how long it would be until that figure was eclipsed. It did not take long, as this list will reveal.
But first on this list came on May 17th at the Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium, when Dalian welcomed Shanghai Shenhua to the city. 61,135 people watched the home side slump to a disappointing 3-0 loss to one of the league’s favourites for the title.
The visitors were 2-0 ahead at the half-time break courtesy of goals from Joao Teixeira and Liu Chengyu, before Saulo Mineiro netted seven minutes after the restart to put any hope of a comeback firmly out of the hands of the home side.
4. Dalian Yingbo vs Beijing Guoan, 2025
While Dalian Yingbo’s fixture against Shanghai Shenhua was first on this list, it took place 12 days after this entry.
For this fixture, Dalian once again welcomed a Chinese Super League heavy hitter to Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium in the form of Beijing Guoan on 5th May.
50 people were enough to make the difference for this one, which topped out at 61,185 in attendance, edging it into fourth place in the all-time record books.
This time also saw Dalian suffer defeat, as Beijing secured a 2-0 victory, with the home side conceding within just 22 minutes of the start, with Wang Ziming netting in the 19th minute and Fabio Abreu following that up just three minutes later.
It was more than enough for Quique Setién’s side to claim victory and leave the Northeast with all three points.
3. Dalian Yingbo vs Shandong Taishan, 2025
Dalian played host again to the third-highest attended match in Chinese Super League history, this time on 19th July when Shandong Taishan made the trip north to the Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium.
61,588 people packed into the coastal stadium to watch the home side finally claim victory in one of the most-watched matches in history. This time, Dalian picked up a convincing 2-0 victory over Shandong in what can only be described as a surprising upset against one of the Middle Kingdom’s historically most successful teams.
On that day, however, Liu Zhurun opened the scoring in the 36th minute. The home side held their narrow lead through the half-time break until teammate Zakaria Labyad netted in the 82nd minute, putting things to bed and ensuring the Northeastern side left with smiles on their faces.
2. Beijing Guoan vs Shanghai Shenhua, 2025
Second on this list took place on the same day that Dalian Yingbo defeated Shandong Taishan, ensuring that a different stadium claimed the honour of having a higher attendance.
This time, it was the new Workers’ Stadium that played host to a memorable clash between Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua, where 62,291 were packed in to watch Shenhua earn a 3-1 statement win against the hosts.
Luis Asue scored after just seven minutes, with Wu Xi netting just 14 minutes later to give Leonid Slutsky’s team a comfortable buffer. Beijing pulled one back in the 26th minute, through Goncalo Rodrigues, but Shenhua held on to their lead.
Yu Hanchao gave the visitors assured victory in the seventh minute of added time after the end of the regulation 90, ensuring the blue half of Shanghai returned south with all three points.
1. Jiangsu Sainty vs Guangzhou Evergrande, 2012
It will take something truly special to claim top spot of this list however, as it remains the only fixture on the list that was not set during the 2025 season.
In fact, it is a record that has stood for 13 years and could continue to do so for the foreseeable future. On 20th October 2012, the Nanjing Olympic Stadium played host to a titanic battle between the then-named Jiangsu Sainty and the ever-dominant Guangzhou Evergrande.
With the two sides sitting first and second in the table, this fixture could have had a deciding impact on the final standings with just two more rounds of league fixtures remaining after this.
However, neither side could be separated and the 65,769 crowd saw a 1-1 draw when all was said and done. Jiangsu took the lead in the opening minute courtesy of club legend Ji Xiang’s goal, which saw them hold a 1-0 lead into the half-time break.
Jiangsu held on for four minutes after the restart with Jiang Ning, who would later leave Guangzhou after the season, scoring in the 49th minute to bring them back level.
The home side finished the season four points behind Guangzhou in the league, with two more subsequent draws against Beijing Guoan and Guangzhou R&F, but a different result in this one could have made a big difference to both clubs’ title challenges.
It’s a record that is likely to stay for years, unless Beijing Guoan, the only team that can challenge this attendance figure, can sell out their 68,000 capacity Workers’ Stadium.