Vertically aligned ZnO nanowires were successfully grown on the sapphire substrate by nanoparticle-assisted pulsed laser deposition (NAPLD), which were employed in fabricating the ZnO nanowire-based heterojunction structures. p-GaN/n-ZnO heterojunction light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with embedded ZnO nanowires were obtained by fabricating p-GaN:Mg film/ZnO nanowire/n-ZnO film structures. The current–voltage measurements showed a typical diode characteristic with a threshold voltage of about 2.5 V. Electroluminescence (EL) emission having the wavelength of about 380 nm was observed under forward bias in the heterojunction diodes and was intensified by increasing the applied voltage up to 30 V.