This study investigated the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between filial piety and life satisfaction among emerging adults in Taiwan. A total of 481 Taiwanese college students between the ages of 18 and 23 years participated in the study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the hypothesis, using AMOS 21.0 software and parceling. The results revealed that (a) reciprocal filial piety was positively related to self-esteem, whereas authoritarian filial piety had a negative effect on self-esteem, (b) both reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety had a positive association with life satisfaction, (c) self-esteem as a mediator played an important role in the link between filial piety and life satisfaction among Taiwanese young adults, and (d) there were some gender differences in reciprocal filial piety, with average scores among females being higher than average scores among males. In the future, more studies on the effect of filial piety on happiness should be pursued in this field.