Bismuth oxychloride (Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 ) nanowires, for the first time, were successfully synthesized by chlorination of α-Bi 2 O 3 nanowires at 350–400°C. The as-grown sample consists of nanowires with diameters 200–400nm and lengths of 10–15μm. XRD results show that the obtained nanowires are tetragonal structure. Both EDS and XPS confirm the composition and stoichiometry of Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 nanowires. The optical band gap of Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 nanowires was estimated to be 2.28eV by absorption measurement. The Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 nanowires exhibit intense green (568nm) and red (746nm) emissions at room temperature. The obtained Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 nanowires may be potentially useful as photocatalysts and visible-light luminescent materials.