Abstract: The determination of the initial prestress distribution of cable domes is studied and a new method named the Preload and Rebound Method is proposed. A preload is applied to the cable dome first to get the internal force distribution which helps resist the preload. After the preload is removed, the internal force is then applied to the structure as prestress, making the structure rebound. Through the two-stage iterative calculation by using changing elastic modulus, the integrity feasible prestressing distribution of the cable dome is achieved after convergence. By applying a symmetric load, this method automatically groups the members and easily distinguishes the integrity feasible prestressing distribution. The optimized initial prestress distribution of the structure with multi-self-equilibrium stress modes is also directly gained. This method is proved to be accurate and converge fast by several examples. The integrity feasible prestressing distribution obtained through this method can be directly applied to engineering practice.