In 1983 the then-provincial governor Lee Teng-hui visited the town and praised the quality of its black pearl wax apples, so assuring the renown of the fruit. Subsequently, as president, Lee Teng-hui often gave gifts of black pearl wax apples to foreign dignitaries.
民國七十二年，擔任省主席的李登輝先生來到林邊，稱讚林邊的蓮霧為水果中的珍品「黑珍珠」，從此林邊的黑珍珠聲名大噪；李登輝就任總統後也常以黑珍珠饋贈外賓。