Large scale, high density boron carbide nanowires have been synthesized by using an improved carbothermal reduction method with B/B2O3/C powder precursors under an argon flow at 1100~C. The boron carbide nanowires are 5-10 μm in length and 80-100 nm in diameter. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) characterizations show that the boron carbide nanowire has a B4C rhombohedral structure with good crystallization. The Raman spectrum of the as-grown boron carbide nanowires is consistent with that of a B4C structure consisting of B11C icosahedra and C-B-C chains. The room temperature photoluminescence spectrum of the boron carbide nanowires exhibits a visible range of emission centred at 638 nm.