中国大陆 (Mainland China)

Mainland China (中国大陆 zhōngguó dàlù) or simply the mainland (大陆 dàlù), is a geopolitical term usually synonymous with the area that is culturally and legally associated with the territory of the People's Republic of China (PRC) (中华人民共和国 zhōnghuá rénmín gònghéguó) currently under the direct political control of Beijing (北京 běijīng). This means that the term usually does not include the two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of Hong Kong (香港xiānggǎng) and Macau (澳门 àomén). The term also never includes Taiwan (台湾 táiwān), which is claimed by the PRC, but has never in practice been governed by it. In English speech and writing, the distinction is not always made, and a reference to "China" is an implicit reference to the PRC, but this usage may or may not include Hong Kong and Macao.

(Adapted from Wikipedia.com)