[9] In 1982, after having studied Chinese arts and literature at Columbia University, Seeman went on a tour of China, where she walked on the Northern Juyongguan Gate of the Great Wall outside of Beijing.

[2][13] One year before, while in London with Earth, Wind & Fire on a European tour, Bailey had met Phil Collins and talked about the possibility of working together.

[14] Bailey asked Seeman and Hughes to meet him with a chord chart at JFK airport, where he would be changing planes on his way to London to record with Collins at The Townhouse.

[2]In writing the lyrics, Seeman drew from her studies, making symbolic references to literature, art and philosophy in Chinese culture.

The lyrics touch on the Buddhist and Taoist philosophies of romantic love and the transitory nature of life thematic in the novel, also called "Story of The Stone”.

[20] The story follows a stone "From the sky above" in the Nonesuch Bluff begging a Taoist priest and Buddhist monk to bring it down to the Red Dust, to know life on earth.

Granting the wish, a boy named Pao-yu is born with a jade stone in his mouth, beginning its earthly existence and the "ancient tales of Chinese love" inside the red chambers of the Jia family compound.

Writing for The Voice, music journalist Nelson George praised the song in his album review: "The centerpiece is the title cut...inspired by a passage in Dream of the Red Chamber, an 18th century Chinese novel."

George commented on "the mesh of Daryl Stuermer's acoustic and electric guitars, Lessette Wilson's keyboards and the Phenix Horns" as being as "exotic and graceful" as the imagery of the lyrics, and of the vocal interpretation: "Bailey uses his heavenly falsetto in counterpart to his Maurice baritone for a mix of philosophical meditation and street-corner logic.

"[26] For The Washington Post, Joe Brown wrote: "Bailey's falsetto soars ethereally (and sometimes scrapes earthily) over Collins' glistening wall of exotic percussion and electronic textures" and called the song "otherworldly".

[27] The Gavin Report features "Walking on the Chinese Wall" on Dave Sholin Personal Picks on March 15, 1985: "throw away the cookie cutter 'cause here's something totally new.

[29] Tom McCarthey of The Salt Lake Tribune wrote: "it is 'Walking On The Chinese Wall' that rises above the rest...horns, soulful vocals, rich instrumental textures and an Oriental feel that makes it a winner".

[33] William Ruhlmann of AllMusic said the tune "better represent(s) Bailey's ability to handle a variety of material from ballads to techno dance tracks with his elastic falsetto.

[6] Eric Schafer of Press & Sun-Bulletin commended Bailey's wonderfully emotive delivery, writing "He can paint a breathtaking picture with it…the words float by in beautiful colors.

"[37] Greg Burliuk of The Kingston Whig-Standard described the music video as “a visually beautiful and sensual rendition”[38] Marianne Meyer for The Chilliwack Progress described “stylized clip features former Earth, Wind & Fire vocalist amid a dream-like collage of Oriental workers, the proverbial Chinese wiseman, falling I Ching pieces and martial arts-like dancers.”[39] Lydia Kolb On Videos for The Paducah Sun wrote "very oriental…scenes of martial arts, I Ching, farming and Chinese extras dressed in their native attire make for a magical video…the music flows with the visual"[40] [41] The song received significant airplay, especially in Europe.