During the winter vacation in 2005, we took part in the 2005 Taiwan Schools Cyberfair, and the topic of our research was “The Charm of the Nanyang Street —the Bittersweet Memory of Cramming at Buxibans.” Under time pressure, we had no choice but to complete the research within three months, during which we had to write up a proposal, map out the structure, decide upon work division, prepare the questionnaire, carry out street interviews, and sort out all the reference materials. Therefore, the outcome of that research, though like a hastily made report, owes largely to the tireless devotion day and night by each team member. Later on, looking back and examining the bits and pieces, we found that many sections of our report did need further review and improvement; after much deliberation, we then decided to polish our work and participate in the Global Cyberfair.

With a view to widening the scope of our research, we have reoriented the course of our paper from 2005 , which, without a full-fledged conclusion and conventional academic format, merely gave a generalization of buxiban culture and some information about the stores surrounding the Nanyang Street .

Through joining the contest this year, we aim to shed new light on the research and flesh it out. That can be seen as a total revamp, since old materials need to be combined with new data gathered this year and a reanalysis will come into place to reach a sound conclusion. In addition, with the integration of electronic maps and field study data, the distribution map of cram schools and that of surrounding stores can be drawn, further detailing the correlation between the Nanyang Street and buxiban “cram” culture.

Interestingly enough, we found no academic papers and theses dedicated to the exploration into the relationship between the Nanyang Street and buxiban culture, and thus this subject is of great value to us. Moreover, the Nanyang Street, along with its neighboring area, have already entered the collective memory of a great many high school students in Taipei City, which makes this subject all the more related to us. Hence, it would be a shame if we failed to give it a closer look and reflect upon its significance to us.