Gallium oxide nanowires (GaONWs; diameter, ca. 60 nm; length, hundreds of micrometers) have been synthesized by a carbothermal reduction reaction. The nanowires have been confirmed as crystalline beta-Ga2O3 by powder X-ray diffraction and selected area electronic diffraction. The GaONWs can emit stable and high brightness blue light at 446 nm (2.78 eV) under excitation at 378 nm (3.28 eV), which may have potential applications in one-dimensional optoelectronic nanodevices.