Bombarded by slow highly charged ion (SHCI), particles including ions and atoms of metal are excited and ejected from the sample. Optical emission can be observed for the radiative de-excitation of some excited atomic particles. The important information about particle ejection and incident ion neutralization, as well as the nature, the kinetic energy, and the number of the sputtered excited particles can be obtained by studying the optical emission process. The optical emission from the the collisions between slow (V~0.38 VBohr) highly charged Xeq+ (4 q 20) ions and high purity Ni (99.995%) surface is studied. The experiment is carried out at the 320 kV for multi-discipline research with HCIs in the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The spectral lines are analyzed by using an Sp-2558 spectrometer equipped with a pattern of 1200 groves/mm blazed at 500 nm and an R955 photomultiplier tube at the exit slit. The target beam current corresponding to the dwell time is recorded, which can be translated into the incident ion current. Based on the formula of Y=N/(t/Ceq), the spectral line intensity is normalized. The normalized spectrum can be obtained from the interaction of 0.38VBohr Xe20+ ions with Ni surface in a wavelength range of 400-510 nm. The species at excited state can be identified by comparing the wavelengths of spectral lines with those in the standard spectroscopic table. Most of the observed spectral lines are identified as being from the electron transitions of Ni I 3d9(2D)4p-3d9(2D5/2)4d, Ni I 3d8(3F)4s4p(3P)-3d84s(4F)5s and Ni Ⅱ 3p63d9-3p63d8(3P)4s, as well as Xe I 5p5(2P3/2)6s-5p5(2P3/2)8p, Xe Ⅱ 5p4(3P2)6p-5p4(3P2)6d and Xe Ⅲ 5s25p3(2D)6s-5s25p3(2D)6p. Compared with the single charged ion, some neutralized incident ions yield Xe I, Xe Ⅱ, Xe Ⅲ spectral lines. The photon yields of spectral lines, such as Xe Ⅱ 410.419, Xe Ⅲ 430.444, Xe Ⅱ 434.200, Xe Ⅱ 486.254, Ni I 498.245, Ni I 501.697, Ni I 503.502, Ni I 505.061 and Ni I 508.293 nm, are presented each as a function of charge state of incident ion. The results show that the photon yield increases with the increase of the charge state, which is consistent with the potential energy of the incident ion. The potential energy is the driving force for photon emission of excited Ni atom. The neutralization of Xeq+ is in good agreement with that indicated by the classical over-the-barrier model.