百花洲公園位于胥門古城河畔,占地4萬平方米,夜晚景色尤美,可船游古城河美景。每年元宵,這里都會舉辦燈會,熱鬧非常。百花洲公(gong)園(yuan)位(wei)于蘇州胥門古(gu)城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)河畔,占地(di)4公(gong)頃(qing),利用萬年(nian)橋到(dao)新市橋沿運河段有(you)一(yi)段古(gu)城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)墻,與運河結合創建了一(yi)座開(kai)放式的(de)城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)市公(gong)園(yuan)。園(yuan)內景(jing)(jing)(jing)色(se)優美(mei),是個休(xiu)閑散步的(de)好地(di)方。公(gong)園(yuan)夜(ye)(ye)景(jing)(jing)(jing)是一(yi)大特色(se),夜(ye)(ye)晚(wan)景(jing)(jing)(jing)色(se)尤美(mei),可(ke)船游古(gu)城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)河美(mei)景(jing)(jing)(jing)。每年(nian)元宵節還(huan)有(you)燈會,屆時可(ke)以(yi)猜燈謎、表演,還(huan)有(you)美(mei)食小吃(chi)等。公(gong)園(yuan)主要(yao)景(jing)(jing)(jing)點有(you)城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)樓、護(hu)城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)河、拱橋等。
胥門(men)(men)(men),也稱老胥門(men)(men)(men),在萬年橋以南。戰國春(chun)申君測知(zhi)太湖地勢(shi)高過蘇州(zhou),為免城(cheng)(cheng)內遭泛濫(lan)之災,就把胥門(men)(men)(men)水(shui)道加(jia)以封閉,此后胥門(men)(men)(men)便無水(shui)門(men)(men)(men)。胥門(men)(men)(men)內城(cheng)(cheng)在百(bai)花洲,甕城(cheng)(cheng)為梯(ti)形,奇怪的(de)(de)是胥門(men)(men)(men)外城(cheng)(cheng)門(men)(men)(men)不是正面朝西,而是朝南,想(xiang)必古人大(da)概是想(xiang)避開兵火的(de)(de)直接沖撞(zhuang)吧,這(zhe)樣做似乎安全些,但卻(que)給(gei)人進(jin)出(chu)帶來(lai)了(le)很大(da)不便。行人須(xu)經學士街,由內城(cheng)(cheng)門(men)(men)(men)進(jin)甕城(cheng)(cheng),朝南出(chu)外城(cheng)(cheng)門(men)(men)(men),再沿河北上走幾百(bai)步(bu),然(ran)后才能(neng)上萬年橋。而今,蘇州(zhou)政府在胥門(men)(men)(men)建成了(le)占地4萬平方米(mi)的(de)(de)百(bai)花洲公園。
胥(xu)門(men)(men)(men)(men),又稱“姑胥(xu)門(men)(men)(men)(men)”,因闔(he)閭從此(ci)門(men)(men)(men)(men)而(er)出登臨姑蘇臺而(er)得名。最(zui)初(chu)也(ye)是(shi)水(shui)陸城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)門(men)(men)(men)(men),到了(le)(le)(le)北宋陸門(men)(men)(men)(men)被堙塞了(le)(le)(le),僅存水(shui)門(men)(men)(men)(men);金兵南(nan)下時,蘇州城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)被劫掠一(yi)空后城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)墻(qiang)(qiang)(qiang)也(ye)付之一(yi)炬(ju),“凡地(di)面(mian)以(yi)上幾無一(yi)碑一(yi)刻(ke)之遺”;不足百年(nian),南(nan)宋又把城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)墻(qiang)(qiang)(qiang)重(zhong)建(jian)得比以(yi)前更加(jia)俊挺,只是(shi)胥(xu)門(men)(men)(men)(men)被取消了(le)(le)(le);元(yuan)初(chu)平定江南(nan)后,元(yuan)兵的(de)(de)(de)鐵騎嫌城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)墻(qiang)(qiang)(qiang)礙事(shi)(shi),蘇州城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)墻(qiang)(qiang)(qiang)又遭拆毀;而(er)到了(le)(le)(le)元(yuan)末,為(wei)了(le)(le)(le)防御反元(yuan)義軍的(de)(de)(de)進攻,再筑城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)墻(qiang)(qiang)(qiang),因在近旁的(de)(de)(de)姑蘇驛下挖(wa)得刻(ke)有(you)“胥(xu)門(men)(men)(men)(men)”二(er)字的(de)(de)(de)石(shi)塊,于是(shi)恢復了(le)(le)(le)胥(xu)門(men)(men)(men)(men),但只建(jian)了(le)(le)(le)陸門(men)(men)(men)(men),未建(jian)水(shui)門(men)(men)(men)(men),以(yi)防太湖洪水(shui)入城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng);不久(jiu)張士誠占(zhan)領了(le)(le)(le)蘇州城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng),加(jia)固(gu)了(le)(le)(le)城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)墻(qiang)(qiang)(qiang),又在城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)門(men)(men)(men)(men)外增(zeng)設(she)了(le)(le)(le)甕城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)。民國時籌建(jian)蘇州市(shi),為(wei)方便(bian)交通,除盤門(men)(men)(men)(men)外的(de)(de)(de)所有(you)甕城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)又都被拆除了(le)(le)(le)。 從戰國時伍(wu)(wu)(wu)(wu)子胥(xu)在胥(xu)門(men)(men)(men)(men)城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)樓掛頭顱,“以(yi)觀越滅吳(wu)”,到北宋王(wang)(wang)安(an)石(shi)感嘆“千家漁火秋(qiu)風事(shi)(shi),一(yi)葉歸舟暮雨灣”,再到明(ming)清時期“商賈云集,五方雜處(chu)”,及至現在的(de)(de)(de)城(cheng)(cheng)(cheng)墻(qiang)(qiang)(qiang)隱而(er)復現,并成(cheng)為(wei)清悠的(de)(de)(de)休閑地(di),胥(xu)門(men)(men)(men)(men)滄桑就如(ru)同演了(le)(le)(le)一(yi)出黑色(se)幽(you)默劇。”北面(mian)是(shi)伍(wu)(wu)(wu)(wu)子胥(xu)的(de)(de)(de)石(shi)雕。伍(wu)(wu)(wu)(wu)子胥(xu)雄才大(da)略,深得吳(wu)王(wang)(wang)闔(he)閭信(xin)任。吳(wu)王(wang)(wang)闔(he)閭九年(nian),伍(wu)(wu)(wu)(wu)子胥(xu)幫助吳(wu)王(wang)(wang)西(xi)破強楚,北威齊晉,南(nan)服越人,吳(wu)國國力達到了(le)(le)(le)鼎盛之勢。但因后主夫(fu)差(cha)聽(ting)信(xin)讒言,于公(gong)元(yuan)前484年(nian)秋(qiu)賜(si)劍使伍(wu)(wu)(wu)(wu)子胥(xu)自刎,并將其尸放鴟(chi)夷革中,漂浮江上。