A very insightful post last week on China Herald, which includes commentary on a photo showing a Chinese couple walking down the street, with the man carrying a purse:

Thomas Crampton noted this scene in Beijing and now wrongly assumes this says something about Chinese couples in general. For me it is obvious that this is a Shanghainese couple in Beijing. Real Beijing men do not carry handbags, unless they are gay of course. In Shanghai there is no way men can avoid that ordeal.

On top of that, the bag looks pretty fake and that is a second indication the couple is from Shanghai.

Fons is right, but I have to clarify one point. Beijing men will carry a Man Bag, which although not a purse, is quite gay; this might be included in what he refers to as a "handbag" but I'm not sure. Note that my American cultural baggage, which includes an abhorrence to either a purse or Man Bag, is so strong that although I now walk to work with: 1) mobile phone; 2) sunglasses; 3) Blackberry; and 4) MP3 player, which is a lot to carry, I will not even consider carrying a Man Bag or anything else except for a manly backpack or briefcase.